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United Nations Security Council

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC, or UN Security Council) is one of the five primary organs of the United Nations, responsible for maintaining international peace and security.  The UNSC resolutions are binding on all member states.  The UNSC was established on January 17, 1946 and includes the five permanent members (United States, Russian Federation [as a state successor to the USSR], United Kingdom, China and Frace) which hold veto power, and also ten elected non-permanent members.  The UNSC's first actions in situations which may cause a "threat to peace and security" is to recommend to the parties to try to reach agreement by peaceful means.  The council may issue cease fire directive, diploy peace-keeping forces of take other measures such as economic sanctions, trade embargos of military action.

 

"[Article 94 of the United Nations Charter] is not a directive to domestic courts.  It does not provide that the United States 'shall' or 'must' comply with an ICJ [International Court of Justice] decision, nor indicate that the Senate that ratified the U.N. Charter intended to vest ICJ decisions with immediate legal effect in domestic courts."

"The remainder of Article 94 confirms that the U.N. Charter does not contemplate the automatic enforceability of ICJ decisions in domestic courts.  Article 94(2) - the enforcement provision - provides the sole remedy for noncompliance: referral to the United Nations Security Council by an aggrieved state."

Medellin v. Texas, 128 S. Ct. 1346, 1359 (2008) (citation partially omitted).