Editing United Nations (section)

=== Security Council ===
{{Main|United Nations Security Council}}
[[File:Colin Powell anthrax vial. 5 Feb 2003 at the UN.jpg|thumb|[[Colin Powell]], the [[United States Secretary of State|US Secretary of State]], demonstrates a vial with [[Legitimacy of the 2003 invasion of Iraq#Weapons of Mass Destruction|alleged]] Iraq [[chemical weapon]] probes to the UN Security Council on [[United Nations Security Council and the Iraq War|Iraq war]] hearings, 5 February 2003.]]

The Security Council is charged with maintaining peace and security among nations. While other organs of the UN can only make recommendations to member states, the Security Council has the power to make binding decisions that member states have agreed to carry out, under the terms of Charter Article 25.<ref name="Chapter|V" /> The decisions of the council are known as [[United Nations Security Council resolution]]s.{{sfn|Fasulo|2004|pp=39–43}}

The Security Council is made up of fifteen member states: five permanent members (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States) and ten non-permanent members (currently [[Algeria]], [[Ecuador]], [[Guyana]], [[Japan]], [[Malta]], [[Mozambique]], the [[Republic of Korea]], [[Sierra Leone]], [[Slovenia]] and [[Switzerland]]).<ref>{{cite web |title=Current Members {{!}} United Nations Security Council |url=https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/content/current-members |access-date=6 February 2024 |website=United Nations |archive-date=22 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220322232811/https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/content/current-members |url-status=live}}</ref> The five permanent members hold [[United Nations Security Council veto power|veto power]] over UN resolutions, allowing a permanent member to block adoption of a resolution, though not debate. The ten temporary seats are held for two-year terms, with five members elected each year by the General Assembly on a [[United Nations Regional Groups|regional basis]].{{sfn|Fasulo|2004|pp=40–41}} The presidency of the Security Council rotates alphabetically each month.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.un.org/en/sc/presidency/ |title=Security Council Presidency in 2017 |publisher=United Nations |access-date=2 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012154714/http://www.un.org/en/sc/presidency/ |archive-date=12 October 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>