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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Security Council Programme of Work
Discover the Security Council's lineup of events scheduled for this month.
Stay updated: Follow the live speakers list for the Security Council open debate under the agenda item "Maintenance of international peace and security".
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.
8 June 2026 — As the Security Council met on Afghanistan, senior officials and civil society representatives delivered a clear warning Monday: despite relative security under the Taliban, worsening humanitarian conditions, restrictions on women and growing economic pressures are creating a fragile and uncertain future.
There are 15 ongoing sanctions regimes which focus on supporting the political settlement of conflicts, nuclear non-proliferation, and counter-terrorism.
