UNSC

For the first time in its history, the United Nations Security Council met via video conferencing to discuss the COVID-19 situation.

About UNSC

The UNSC is one of the 6 main organs of the United Nations. It is the only organ of the UN that can issue binding resolutions to the members. Its functions include ensuring peace and security, approving changes to the UN charter, making recommendations to the UNGA to accept new members, authorize military actions, international sanctions, peacekeeping operations, etc.

Members of UNSC

The UNSC consists of 15 member nations: USA, China, Russia, UK and France which are the permanent 5 member states and 10 other non-permanent elected member states. The current non-permanent members are Belgium, Germany, Estonia, Indonesia, Dominican Republic, Niger, South Africa, Vietnam, Tunisia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

The Virtual Meeting

The recently held meeting was the first UNSC meeting to be held over video conferencing. The meeting was conducted in English. There has been an issue of how the voting process is to be conducted. Usually, voting is by show of hands. Russia had ruled out the use of virtual votes. The current chair, China, is encouraging ‘votes by writing’.