The General Legal Framework Governing the Process of a Delegation by the UN Security Council of its chapter VII Powers

With the creation of the United Nations (UN) in 1945, the UN Security Council was envisaged to play a central role in the maintenance or restoration of international peace and security. To this end, UN Member States agreed in Article 24 of the Charter to confer on the Council primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. The specific powers which the Charter gives the Council to achieve this objective are contained in Chapter VII. However, the Security Council has had to delegate its Chapter VII powers to entities that have an enforcement capacity which the Council at present lacks: in particular, it lacks a military force which it can use directly to carry out military enforcement action. This chapter constructs the legal framework governing the process of delegation of Chapter VII powers by the UN Security Council.