It’s a mission that can seem impossible in such a crazy world. Meeting this Monday in New York, the United Nations Security Council aims to maintain peace on our planet. Just that. On the menu for the first day of the week: a vote ruling on the resolution of an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Already rejected twice before the international body, this resolution was this time adopted by 14 votes in favor and one abstention (from the Americans). But who are the 14 states that voted for this measure aimed at protecting civilians during Ramadan? 20 minutes enlightens you.
Who are the permanent five?
The UN Security Council is made up of fifteen members. Five states have the irremovable status of “permanent” and are still present: the United States, China, the United Kingdom, Russia and France. Why these five? Because when the United Nations was created in 1945, they represented the five great winners of the Second World War. This is why great powers like Germany, Japan or Italy do not sit among the “permanent five” as they are called in the corridors of the UN. Some even speak of the “powerful five”.
Why do they have a veto?
In addition to sitting permanently, the five states have a right of veto, which allows them to block any decision. This is what the United States did twice regarding the massacre in Gaza, preventing the adoption of a resolution.
This veto right is particularly criticized by detractors, who see it as an anti-democratic symbol. On several occasions, NGOs have denounced the massive use of this “privilege” in the sole interest of the country which brandished it, very often at the initiative of China or Russia. This was particularly the case during the conflict in Syria in 2017, where the Russians protected Syrian officials by blocking resolutions considering international sanctions. According to statistics, the United States is the country having used the veto the most since 1970often in support of Israel.
Who are the other ten members?
The list of ten other Member States may make you smile because it is so heterogeneous. What do Japan, Algeria, Sierra Leone, Slovenia and Malta have in common? They’re all on the UN Security Council right now. Designated for a period of two years, these countries are elected by the General Assembly after having applied. More than fifty of the 193 member states of the United Nations have never been elected to the Council. In addition to the five mentioned above, we currently find Ecuador, Mozambique, Switzerland, South Korea and Guyana, a former British colony which became independent in 1966. Switzerland, which only joined the UN in 2002, surveyed its population to ensure that it could maintain its neutrality even while sitting.
Each geographical area has an assigned number of seats on the Security Council. Three are attributed to the African group of countries, two to the Asia Pacific zone, 2 to Latin America and the Caribbean, one to Eastern Europe and two to Western Europe.
Who chairs it?
Japan currently holds the presidency of the UN Security Council. But not for long ! The country at the head of the UN executive body is renewed each month, following the English alphabetical order of the country names. France chaired the security council in January 2024.
Who sits there for France?
Its name probably doesn’t mean anything to you. Nicolas de Rivière is however the strong man of France within the United Nations. A graduate of ENA, he has been our country’s ambassador to the Security Council since July 8, 2019. In the past, he was notably a technical advisor to Dominique de Villepin when the latter was Minister of Foreign Affairs between 2002 and 2004 then with Michel Barnier in 2004 and 2005. Former number two at the French embassy in New York, Nathalie Broadhurst is the deputy permanent representative of France on the council.