The Security Council has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. It has 15 Members, and each Member has one vote. Under the Charter of the United Nations, all Member States are obligated to comply with Council decisions.
The Security Council takes the lead in determining the existence of a threat to the peace or act of aggression. It calls upon the parties to a dispute to settle it by peaceful means and recommends methods of adjustment or terms of settlement. In some cases, the Security Council can resort to imposing sanctions or even authorize the use of force to maintain or restore international peace and security.
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President of Sierra Leone (center), President of the Security Council in November 2025, gavels to order the open debate on "Threats to international peace and security" on 17 November 2025
Security Council Programme of Work
Discover the Security Council's lineup of events scheduled for this month.
The presidency of the Council is held by each of the members in turn for one month, following the English alphabetical order of the Member States names.
20 November 2025 — Millions in Ukraine have been left without heating, water or basic public services as winter temperatures plunge – and civilian deaths this year have already surpassed the total for 2024, the UN Security Council heard on Thursday.
There are 14 ongoing sanctions regimes which focus on supporting the political settlement of conflicts, nuclear non-proliferation, and counter-terrorism.