All 193 UN member states get one vote each in the General Assembly. Just five of them can single-handedly block a Security Council resolution.
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International Relations · IntlRel0027
UN General Assembly and Security Council
One member, one vote — versus five members, one veto
General Assembly
193 members, one vote each
Simple majority for most decisions
Two-thirds for “important questions”
6 Main Committees do the working-level review
Security Council
15 members: 5 permanent (P5), 10 elected
Non-permanent seats: 2-year terms, regional rotation
Each P5 member holds an absolute veto
One “No” from a P5 member blocks any resolution
India: 8 UNSC terms
1950-51 → 2021-22
Uniting for Peace, 1950
When the Council is deadlocked
The 1950 Uniting for Peace resolution lets the General Assembly call an emergency special session if a P5 veto stalls the Security Council — a workaround born from Cold War gridlock.
✊ Must Know
The Two Chambers
- General Assembly The UN General Assembly is the UN’s main deliberative body. All 193 member states take part as equals, each holding one vote.
- Security Council The UN Security Council has 15 members: 5 permanent (the P5 — China, France, Russia, the UK, and the US) and 10 elected non-permanent members.
Observer Status
- Who can get it The General Assembly can grant observer status to non-member states, and to inter-governmental organisations that seek it.
- What observers get Permanent Observers can maintain their own missions at UN headquarters, alongside full member states.
💡 Good to Know
Voting Rules
- Simple majority Most GA decisions need only a simple majority to pass.
- Two-thirds threshold “Important questions,” like peace-and-security recommendations or budget matters, need a two-thirds majority instead.
How the Council Works
- Elected seats The 10 non-permanent UNSC seats are elected by the GA, for two-year terms, on a rotating regional basis.
- The veto Each P5 member holds a veto, letting it block any substantive UNSC resolution alone, regardless of how many other members vote in favour.
Test Yourself
🌟 Great to Know
Uniting for Peace
- 1950 resolution The GA adopted the “Uniting for Peace” resolution in 1950, letting it call an emergency special session if the UNSC is deadlocked by a veto.
- Origin It was designed to work around Soviet vetoes that were then stalling UNSC action.
India’s Council Record
- Eight terms India has served eight terms as a non-permanent UNSC member, more than most other countries.
- Years Those terms run 1950-51, 1967-68, 1972-73, 1977-78, 1984-85, 1991-92, 2011-12, and 2021-22.
Related Reading
- More For the UN’s other principal organs, see IntlRel0009 — The United Nations: Principal Organs and Related Bodies. For India’s push for a permanent UNSC seat, see IntlRel0032 — India and the United Nations.
📰 Current Affairs
2027-28 Non-Permanent Members Elected
- 3 June 2026 The GA elected five new non-permanent UNSC members for the 2027-28 term: Austria, Portugal, Zimbabwe, Trinidad and Tobago, and Kyrgyzstan.
- Outgoing They replace Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama, and Somalia, whose terms end 31 December 2026.
- First seat This is Kyrgyzstan’s first-ever Security Council seat. It beat the Philippines across three extra rounds of voting.
📝 Previous Year Questions
UPSC CSP 2022 — UN General Assembly Observer Status
- UPSC 2022 The correct answer is 1, 2 and 3. The GA can grant observer status to non-member states. Inter-governmental organisations can also seek observer status. Permanent Observers can maintain missions at UN headquarters. All three statements are correct. See UPSC CSP 2022 GS Paper I, Q78 View this question.
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