United Nations Security Council...

UNSC Motive  - To maintain international peace and stability and security..

There are 15 members in the UNSC . 5 permanent members and 10 non permanent members.

5 Permanent Members - CHINA , FRANCE , RUSSIA , UNITED KINGDOM and UNITED STATES based on the GREAT POWER or BIG FIVE..that were the victors of world war 2.

10 Non - Permanent Members - ( with five elected each year to serve for 2 years ) . The current NPM are -

• ARGENTINA
• PAKISTAN
• AUSTRALIA
• AZERBAIJAN
• MOROCCO
• GUATEMALA
• LUXEMBOURG
• TOGO
• SOUTH - KOREA ( very soon i will write on issues between south and north korea) 
• RAWANDA

VETO - POWER - ( Most Controversial and Highly debatable)

Under Article 27 of the UN Charter, Security Council decisions on all substantive matters require the affirmative votes of nine members. A negative vote, or veto, also known as the rule of "great power unanimity", by a permanent member prevents adoption of a proposal, even if it has received the required number of affirmative votes (9). Abstention is not regarded as a veto despite the wording of the Charter. Since the Security Council's inception, China (ROC/PRC) has used its veto 6 times; France 18 times; Russia/USSR 123 times; the United Kingdom 32 times; and the United States 89 times. The majority of Russian/Soviet vetoes were in the first ten years of the Council's existence. Since 1984, China and France have vetoed three resolutions each; Russia/USSR four; the United Kingdom ten; and the United States 43.

Procedural matters are not subject to a veto, so the veto cannot be used to avoid discussion of an issue. The same holds for certain decisions that directly regard permanent members.

 

(Number of resolutions vetoed by each of the five permanent members of the Security Council between 1946 and 2007)

“Small Five”, is the group of

1. Costa Rica,
2. Jordan,
3. Liechtenstein,
4. Singapore
5. Switzerland.

They want reforms following reforms in UNSC, particularly the Veto mechanism.

REFORMS IN UNSC - 

1. Regular consultations between members and nonmembers of the council;
2. Greater role for nations that contribute troops for UN peacekeeping missions in africa etc.
3. Political restrictions of the use of the veto.
4. Permanent members should explain their reasons for resorting to a veto,
5. Permanent Members shouldn’t use their Veto power in following cases
1. and in cases of genocide
2. other serious violations of human rights / international humanitarian law

RESULTS -

• In the May 2012, The S-Five, tried to move a resolution in this regard, in the UN General Assembly, but the Big Five forced them to withdraw it.
• The other UN member nations, secretly appreciate the demands of S-5, but donot openly support S-5. (Besides, all the “powerful” UN members such as India, Germany want UNSC permanent seats with veto powers for themselves!)