United Nations General Assembly Resolution 1991

Last updated
UN General Assembly
Resolution 1991
Date17 December 1963
Meeting no.1,285
CodeA/RES/1991 (XVIII) (Document)
SubjectQuestion of equitable representation on the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council
ResultApproved

United Nations General Assembly Resolution 1991 was a resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly on 17 December 1963. The resolution made provisions for amending the United Nations Charter in order to increase membership of the Security Council to fifteen member states and membership of the Economic and Social Council to twenty-seven member states. As per Article 108 of the UN Charter, the agreed amendments to the Charter took effect after the resolution was ratified by two-thirds of the UN member states' legislatures, including those of all five permanent members of the Security Council.

Contents

Text

A

The General Assembly,

Considering that the present composition of the Security Council is inequitable and unbalanced,

Recognizing that the increase in the membership of the United Nations makes it necessary to enlarge the membership of the Security Council, this providing for a more adequate geographical representation of non-permanent members and making it a more effective organ for carrying out its functions under the Charter of the United Nations,

Bearing in mind the conclusions and recommendations of the Committee on arrangements for a conference for the purpose of reviewing the Charter,

1. Decides to adopt, in accordance with Article 108 of the Charter of the United Nations, the following amendments to the Charter and to submit them for ratification by the States Members of the United Nations:

(a) In Article 23, paragraph 1, the word “eleven” in the first sentence shall be replaced by the word “fifteen”, and the word “six” in the third sentence by the word “ten”;
(b) In Article 23, paragraph 2, the second sentence shall then be reworded as follows:
“In the first election of the non-permanent members after the increase of the membership of the Security Council from eleven to fifteen, two of the members shall be chosen for a term of one year”;
(c) In Article 27, paragraph 2, the word “seven” shall be replaced by the word “nine”;
(d) In Article 27, paragraph 3, the word “seven” shall be replaced by the word “nine”;

2. Calls upon all Member States to ratify the above amendments, in accordance with their respective constitutional processes, by 1 September 1965;

3. Further decides that the ten non-permanent members of the Security Council shall be elected according to the following pattern:

(a) Five from African and Asian States;
(b) One from Eastern European States;
(c) Two from Latin American States;
(d) Two from Western European and other States.

B

The General Assembly,

Recognizing that the increase in the membership of the United Nations makes it necessary to enlarge the membership of the Economic and Social Council, with a view to providing for a more adequate geographical representation therein and making it a more effective organ for carrying out its functions under Chapters IX and X of the Charter of the United Nations,

Recalling Economic and Social Council resolutions 974 B and C (XXXVI) of 22 July 1963,

Bearing in mind the conclusions and recommendations of the Committee on arrangements for a conference for the purpose of reviewing the Charter,

1. Decides to adopt, in accordance with Article 108 of the Charter of the United Nations, the following amendment to the Charter and to submit it for ratification by the States Members of the United Nations:

“Article 61
“1. The Economic and Social Council shall consist of twenty-seven Members of the United Nations elected by the General Assembly.
“2. Subject to the provisions of paragraph 3, nine members of the Economic and Social Council shall be elected each year for a term of three years. A retiring member shall be eligible for immediate re-election.
“3. At the first election after the increase in the membership of the Economic and Social Council from eighteen to twenty-seven members, in addition to the members elected in place of the six members whose term of office expires at the end of that year, nine additional members shall be elected. Of these nine additional members, the term of office of three members so elected shall expire at the end of one year, and of three other members at the end of two years, in accordance with arrangements made by the General Assembly.
“4. Each member of the Economic and Social Council shall have one representative.”;

2. Calls upon all Member States to ratify the above amendment, in accordance with their respective constitutional processes, by 1 September 1965;

3. Further decides that, without prejudice to the present distribution of seats in the Economic and Social Council, the nine additional members shall be elected according to the following pattern:

(a) Seven from African and Asian States;
(b) One from Latin American States;
(c) One from Western European and other States.

Voting

The result of the voting was the following:

ForAgainstAbstentions
Flag of the Taliban.svg  Afghanistan Flag of Bulgaria.svg  Bulgaria Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal
Flag of Albania.svg  Albania Flag of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (1951-1991).svg  Byelorussian SSR Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg  South Africa
Flag of Algeria.svg  Algeria Flag of Cuba.svg  Cuba Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czechoslovakia Flag of the United States.svg  United States
Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Flag of France.svg  France
Flag of Austria.svg  Austria Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium Flag of Mongolia.svg  Mongolia
Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg  Bolivia Flag of Poland.svg  Poland
Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil Flag of Romania (1965-1989).svg  Romania
Flag of Myanmar.svg  Burma Flag of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (1949-1991).svg  Ukrainian SSR
Flag of Burundi (1962-1966).svg  Burundi Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
Flag of Cambodia.svg  Cambodia
Flag of Cameroon.svg  Cameroon
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Flag of the Central African Republic.svg  Central African Republic
Flag of Ceylon.svg  Ceylon
Flag of Chad.svg  Chad
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China
Flag of Colombia.svg  Colombia
Flag of the Republic of the Congo.svg  Congo-Brazzaville
Flag of the Republic of the Congo (Leopoldville) (1960-1963).svg Congo-Léopoldville
Flag of Costa Rica.svg  Costa Rica
Flag of Cyprus (1960-2006).svg  Cyprus
Flag of Benin.svg  Dahomey
Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark
Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg  Dominican Republic
Flag of Ecuador.svg  Ecuador
Flag of El Salvador.svg  El Salvador
Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Ethiopia
Flag of Finland.svg  Finland
Flag of Gabon.svg  Gabon
Flag of Ghana.svg  Ghana
Flag of Greece.svg  Greece
Flag of Guatemala.svg  Guatemala
Flag of Guinea.svg  Guinea
Flag of Haiti.svg  Haiti
Flag of Honduras.svg  Honduras
Flag of Iceland.svg  Iceland
Flag of India.svg  India
Flag of Indonesia.svg  Indonesia
Flag of Iran.svg  Iran
Flag of Iraq (1959-1963).svg  Iraq
Flag of Ireland.svg  Ireland
Flag of Israel.svg  Israel
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy
Flag of Cote d'Ivoire.svg  Ivory Coast
Flag of Jamaica.svg  Jamaica
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan
Flag of Jordan.svg  Jordan
Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya
Flag of Kuwait.svg  Kuwait
Flag of Laos.svg  Laos
Flag of Lebanon.svg  Lebanon
Flag of Liberia.svg  Liberia
Flag of Libya.svg  Libya
Flag of Luxembourg.svg  Luxembourg
Flag of Madagascar.svg  Madagascar
Flag of Malaysia.svg  Malaysia
Flag of Mali.svg  Mali
Flag of Mauritania (1959-2017).svg  Mauritania
Flag of Mexico.svg  Mexico
Flag of Morocco.svg  Morocco
Flag of Nepal.svg    Nepal
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands
Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand
Flag of Nicaragua.svg  Nicaragua
Flag of Niger.svg  Niger
Flag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria
Flag of Norway.svg  Norway
Flag of Pakistan.svg  Pakistan
Flag of Panama.svg  Panama
Flag of Paraguay.svg  Paraguay
Flag of Peru.svg  Peru
Flag of the Philippines.svg  Philippines
Flag of Rwanda.svg  Rwanda
Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg  Saudi Arabia
Flag of Senegal.svg  Senegal
Flag of Sierra Leone.svg  Sierra Leone
Flag of Somalia.svg  Somalia
Flag of Spain (1945-1977).svg  Spain
Flag of Sudan (1956-1970).svg  Sudan
Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden
Flag of Syria.svg  Syria
Flag of Tanzania.svg  Tanzania
Flag of Thailand.svg  Thailand
Flag of Togo.svg  Togo
Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg  Trinidad and Tobago
Flag of Tunisia.svg  Tunisia
Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey
Flag of Uganda.svg  Uganda
Flag of the United Arab Republic.svg  United Arab Republic
Flag of Upper Volta.svg  Upper Volta
Flag of Uruguay.svg  Uruguay
Flag of Venezuela (1954-2006).svg  Venezuela
Flag of the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen.svg  Yemen
Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg  Yugoslavia

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