UN Security Council: Members

The Council has 15 members - five permanent members and 10 elected
by the General Assembly for two-year terms:

Membership and Presidency of the Security Council in 2006

Month	Presidency	Membership Term Ends
January	United Republic of Tanzania	31 December 2006
February	United States	Permanent Member
March	Argentina	31 December 2006
April	China	Permanent Member
May	Congo	31 December 2007
June	Denmark	31 December 2006
July	France	Permanent Member
August	Ghana	31 December 2007
September	Greece	31 December 2006
October	Japan	31 December 2006
November	Peru	31 December 2007
December	Qatar	31 December 2007
	Russian Federation	Permanent Member
	Slovakia	31 December 2007
	United Kingdom	Permanent Member

The following countries began their two-year membership term on 1 January 2006:

Congo

Ghana

Peru

Qatar

Slovakia

Each Council member has one vote. Decisions on procedural matters are made by an affirmative vote of at least nine of the 15 members. Decisions onsubstantive matters require nine votes, including the concurring votes of all five permanent members. This is the rule of "great Power unanimity", often referred to as the "veto" power.

Under the Charter, all Members of the United Nations agree to accept and carry out the decisions of the Security Council. While other organs of the United Nations make recommendations to Governments, the Council alone has the power to take decisions which Member States are obligated under the Charter to carry out.