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.

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:

For Against Abstentions
 Afghanistan  Bulgaria  Portugal
 Albania  Byelorussian SSR  South Africa
 Algeria  Cuba  United Kingdom
 Argentina  Czechoslovakia  United States
 Australia  France
 Austria  Hungary
 Belgium  Mongolia
 Bolivia  Poland
 Brazil  Romania
 Burma  Ukrainian SSR
 Burundi  Soviet Union
 Cambodia
 Cameroon
 Canada
 Central African Republic
 Ceylon
 Chad
 China
 Colombia
 Congo-Brazzaville
Congo-Léopoldville
 Costa Rica
 Cyprus
 Dahomey
 Denmark
 Dominican Republic
 Ecuador
 El Salvador
 Ethiopia
 Finland
 Gabon
 Ghana
 Greece
 Guatemala
 Guinea
 Haiti
 Honduras
 Iceland
 India
 Indonesia
 Iran
 Iraq
 Ireland
 Israel
 Italy
 Ivory Coast
 Jamaica
 Japan
 Jordan
 Kenya
 Kuwait
 Laos
 Lebanon
 Liberia
 Libya
 Luxembourg
 Madagascar
 Malaysia
 Mali
 Mauritania
 Mexico
 Morocco
   Nepal
 Netherlands
 New Zealand
 Nicaragua
 Niger
 Nigeria
 Norway
 Pakistan
 Panama
 Paraguay
 Peru
 Philippines
 Rwanda
 Saudi Arabia
 Senegal
 Sierra Leone
 Somalia
 Spain
 Sudan
 Sweden
 Syria
 Tanganyika
 Thailand
 Togo
 Trinidad and Tobago
 Tunisia
 Turkey
 Uganda
 United Arab Republic
 Upper Volta
 Uruguay
 Venezuela
 Yemen
 Yugoslavia
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