Un Membership Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Un Membership - Research Paper Example Charter (Weiss and Daws, 126). Firstly, the state seeking UN membership must submit a formal application to the secretary general of the United Nations. Usually, the head of state of that country writes and submits the application on behalf of the state. The application submitted must contain a clearly stated declaration that the state in question is in full acceptance of the obligations spelt out in the UN Charter. The Secretary General then submits the application to the President of the Security Council, who presents it to a sitting of the Security Council for deliberation by its members. The Security Council reviews the application, and its members vote on whether to accept or reject it. The Security Council comprises 15 member states, including five states that are permanent members. These permanent members are Russia, France, China, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Recommendation for admission must receive nine affirmative votes out of the possible 15, provided that none of the permanent member st ates votes against it. The Security Council then recommends the applicant state to the UN General Assembly for membership (UN News Center, www.un.org). The General Assembly is the deliberative organ of the United Nations. It comprises all the member states of the UN and meets in regular annual sessions to deliberate on various issues. The General Assembly reviews the application and considers the human rights and political record of the applicant state to determine if it is a peace-loving state. In addition, the General Assembly considers whether the Applicant State is fully willing and able to fulfill the obligations contained in the UN Charter. Finally, the members of the General Assembly present at the session take a vote regarding the application. The applicant state acquires membership if at least two-thirds of the member states vote in the affirmative. Following voting by the General Assembly, the Secretary