security council
Security Council. A principal organ of the United Nations, consisting of five permanent members (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) and ten additional members elected at stated intervals, charged with the responsibility of maintaining international peace and security, and esp. of preventing or halting wars by diplomatic, economic, or military action. • The nonpermanent members are elected from each of the world’s major regions, based on a distribution formula. [Cases: International Law 10.45. C.J.S. International Law §§ 59–65.]