Whenever a complaint concerning a threat to peace and/or security is brought before the Security Council, it usually recommends the patries involved to search for peaceful means to settle their dispute(s). When disputes lead to fighting, though, the Security Council may be forced to use enforcement measures, economic sanctions, or, usually as a last resort, a collective military action.

Only the members of the Security Council itself may vote on issues brought before it, but any Member State of the United Nations can participate in its dicussions when the Council considers that that particular country's interests may be affected by any of its decisions. Non-Member States may also participate in the Security Council's discussions without a vote, but this only happens if they are states involved in a dispute that is being considered by the Council. When this occurs, the Security Council sets the conditions for the degree of participation by a non-Member State.

The Presidency of the Security Council rotates every month, and the acting President is determined according to the English alphabetical listing of its Member States.