Puff & Pao Food History

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The History of Coffee
Origin - What is Coffee? Today, there are two types of beans used in making coffee, Arabica and Robusta. Here in the United States, we primarily use Arabica beans because of their smooth and mellow taste. Arabica beans are grown exclusively at high altitudes from plants that are very fragile and temperamental. Robusta, on the other hand, can be grown in lower altitudes, and the beans that the plants yield are larger and grow more quickly than Arabica. While the flavor profile of Arabica is positive, many Robusta strains have a negative flavor profile, and do not produce the delicious taste found in Arabica coffee. Although Arabica coffee is the most popular and is found in most cafes, Robusta beans are still used in specialty coffee blends found in Europe.
The Legend of Coffee
The origins of coffee can be traced back several centuries to what is now Ethiopia. The popular legend says that a goatherd named Kaldi discovered his goats dancing after having eaten berries from a dark-leafed shrub. Their behavior prompted him to try the red berries growing from the shrubs for himself, and he soon realized that their ability to keep him very alert throughout his long day would benefit people from every trade and area of the world.
Spread of Coffee
Coffee plants spread from Ethiopia to Yemen, where coffee production as we know it today actually began. The priceless quality of coffee made it very popular throughout the entire Middle Eastern region, but in order to guard their precious trade, the Yemenese began to roast the coffee beans so that outsiders couldn't take raw seeds and grow their own plants. The city of Moka (an Arabian port on the Red Sea) was especially integral to the coffee trade, because their wildly popular brew contained hints of a chocolaty taste. People outside of the region began adding chocolate to their coffee to imitate this taste, and that is how a chocolate-infused espresso drink became the modern-day mocha. After coffee had made its way across Europe, it was easy to see that it was going to make a those who could cultivate it properly quite wealthy. All of the coffee in the New World is said to have descended from one single plant, brought across the Atlantic by a Dutchman. He was so dedicated to the plant that at one point during his voyage, he even sacrificed his own drinking water in order to keep the plant alive. The success of his coffee plant spread from Central America to South America, and across the Pacific to Asia. Currently, Indonesia and Vietnam are some of the world's largest producers of Robusta coffee. Following the spread of coffee from Yemen to Central America and across the Pacific, the institution of a cafe where people could gather and congregate all while enjoying a delicious cup of coffee became very popular. During the mid-160's, scholars and philosophers across Europe were embracing the stimulant quality in coffee, and made the coffeehouse a bona fide gathering place as well as a place where they could discuss politics and philosophy. Many historians believe that much of their success should be attributed to their choice of coffee rather than ale. Reportedly, Voltaire drank between 50-75 cups of coffee each day! The cafe is still one of the most popular and cherished places in Europe, as well as here in the United States, where the cafe has become a gathering place as well as a home for budding poets and musicians.
Process of Making Espresso
Pulling a perfect shot of espresso is a delicate process that has taken over a century to perfect. Traditionally, espresso is made from a blend of beans selected to produce a flavorful and smooth shot of espresso. First, 7-9g of espresso coffee beans are ground finely and packed into a portafilter. Then, the coffee is compressed with 30-35 lbs of weight to form a tightly packed puck of espresso. After this, the portafilter is inserted into the espresso machine, where is it then infused with hot water under very high pressure for 25-30 seconds. The water extracts the flavor from the beans, producing a one-ounce 'shot' rich and smooth in texture that can be drank alone or with steamed milk (producing a latte).
Here at Puff & Pao, we have taken into consideration our espresso blend and our machine to perfect our espresso process and the beverages it produces. We use a double-s hot portafilter with 14g of ground coffee every time so that it yields two shots of espresso with each extraction. The result is a delicious cup of espresso that can be enjoyed at any time of the day. Coffee Stats (according to SCAA): Every day, Americans drink more than 300 million cups of coffee -- that's more than one cup of coffee for every man, woman, and child in the U.S.
In 1683, one pound of coffee in New York was worth as much as four acres of land. Surprisingly, espresso contains less caffeine than a regular serving of drip coffee. In fact, during the espresso brewing method, water is in contact with the grounds under high pressure for only 20 to 25 seconds and extracts less caffeine than the 'drip' method of making coffee, where the water is in contact with the grounds for several minutes. Coffee is the second largest export world-wide, second only to petroleum.
The world's largest coffee producer is Brazil with over 3,970 million coffee trees and is responsible for 30 to 40 % of total world output. Colombia comes in second with around two thirds of Brazil's production. Over 53 countries grow coffee worldwide, but all of them lie along the equator between the tropic of Cancer and Capricorn. No coffee is grown in the United States or its territories, with the exception of Hawaii and Puerto Rico.
It takes 42 coffee beans to make a single shot of espresso.
More Coffee Facts...
When coffee reached Christian World, priests believed that it was the drink of the devil; and if a Christian drank this devil brew they would risk eternal damnation. However, in the late 1500's Pope Clement VIII settled the dispute after sipping a cup of coffee. The Pope was intrigued by it's taste and aroma and so then blessed the coffee, and baptized it on the spot.
Both the American Revolution and French Revolution were 'born' in coffee houses.
Due to the controversy over England's Tea Act of 1773 (eventually resulting in the Boston Tea Party), Americans began to boycott tea. In an effort to separate themselves from the British and break their reliance on the product, coffee became much more widely consumed and accepted.
The expression 'a cup of Joe' used to denote coffee, was first coined during WWII, when American servicemen (G.I. Joe) were identified as big coffee drinkers.
The popular drink 'Americano' (which is a shot of espresso poured over hot water) came from World War II, when American soldiers stationed in Europe were known for their love of coffee but did not like the strong taste. In order to make it more palatable, they added hot water, and the drink was coined 'Americano' in their honor.
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Puff and Pao: Specialty Food
The unique experience guaranteed with each cup of coffee is best complimented by one of the fresh treats made daily in the store. From cream puffs to cheese bread and salads, there is a delectable selection of eats to satisfy your appetite. All of which share a natural quality by eliminating any processed ingredients from the recipes. Now no one is a stranger to the cream puff. The light, but rich, hollow pastry filled with cool, sweet custard has satisfied taste buds worldwide.
It first called a choux pastry after the French word for cabbage, although the cream puffs do come out of the oven looking like little cabbages. Originally referred to as choux buns, this dessert's history began in 1533, when Catherine de Medici left Florence to marry the Duke of Orleans who was later to become Henry II (151-1559), King of France. She brought with her to France her entire court, which included her chefs. Seven years later in 1540, her head chef, Panterelli, invented a hot, dried paste with which he made gateaux (cake). He christened the paste Panterelli but as the original recipe changed through the years, so did the name. It became known as Popelini, which then became Popelin. A patissier called Avice perfected the paste in the middle of the eighteenth century and created Choux Buns. The Popelin became known as Choux, since only Choux Buns were made from it. In the nineteenth century the recipe was finally perfected and is still used today at Puff and Pao where we offer a variety of cream-filling flavors as well, including a sugar-free option.
The filling remains chilled, as each puff is piped to order. Therefore, our customers are able to experience more than one flavor at a time making this pastry impossible to resist. Additionally, we specialize in Pao de Queijo, which is the Portugese term for cheese bread. In the 1600's, while the slaves of our Minas Gerais state were making Manioc Flour to the rich farmland owners, they used to crop manioc (yucca root), peel them off, finely grate them, and soak them in a big wood bowl with plenty of water. After washing and draining the grated manioc they spread it on a tiled floor outdoors and let it dry under the sun. When dried, they scraped the manioc into big bags and stored them for food consumption throughout the year. After taking out the manioc flour the slaves found themselves with a fine white powder; this was the manioc starch that dried out in the 'gamelas' after preparing the flour. So the slaves managed to scrape this white starch off the gamelas, make small balls and bake them. These manioc starch balls had neither cheese nor milk in them, just plain manioc starch but became popular among the slaves. After more than 200 years later, cattle farms became widespread in Brazil and slaves (that were being freed by that time) gained access to better foods such as milk and cheese. So they began to increment the baked balls with milk and ultimately cheese. In the twenty-first century at Puff and Pao, our cheese bread recipe has been modified to enhance both texture and flavor catering to the New York taste trends. Our paolitos are crisper, less oily, lighter, and have more of a cheese-packed flavor.
Made with gluten-free manioc flour and either New York cheddar cheese or European farm house cheese blended with Grana Padano, the texture is unique dense with a crisp outer crust and a chewy center that is permeated with the fragrant aroma and flavor of the cheese. In the morning, the paolitos can be eaten on their own or made into a breakfast sandwich sliced horizontally and filled with scrambled eggs and market fresh fillings. For lunch, the bread can be stuffed with a choice of the salad offerings of the day for an on-the-go sandwich. It's an authentic, savory snack which will fulfill you while sipping on our LaColumbe espresso/ coffee beverages!
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History of Tea
According to legend, tea was discovered by Buddha (Zen Buddhism father), who fell asleep during a 7-year long meditation. He awoke frustrated with himself and cut off his eyelids to prevent sleeping again. Where his lids fell, two tea plants grew.
The Chinese word “ch'a” is also another term for “tea,” which means to test, check or investigate. This term came about because Shen Nung , the father of Chinese medicine, felt sick after tasting various plants one day but luckily noticed tea leaves nearby. After ingesting some of the leaves, he began to feel cured and investigated the tree's healing quality. Tea spread to Japan, Korea and then the Middle East before it became popular in the west during the 16th Century. Britain's later initiative made India the largest producer and exporter of tea.
The Opium Wars between England and China were a direct result of the tea trade. While England was buying tea solely from China in the nineteenth century, they had no way to safely transport their money between the distant lands. Instead, they used their territory in India to start cheaply producing opium to barter for their tea, creating an instant supply and demand system. This system remained in place until 1908, when the British obtained a tea plant for themselves and were able to grow tea of their own in India and Sri Lanka.
Nowadays, tea is back in popularity throughout the United States and worldwide. With the exception of water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage globally.
The Tea Plant
All true teas come from a single plant. Its Latin name is Camellia sinensis. The plant is grown and processed in Asia, Africa, and Australia, but the finest teas currently come from five Asian countries: India, China, Sri Lanka (Ceylon), Japan, and Formosa (Taiwan).
There are four major varieties of tea, including Rooibos:
Black (Red) tea is made by fully oxidizing tea leaves. It darkens the color and gives the eventual brewed tea its familiar "tea taste."
Green tea is made by steaming the tea leaves before they are rolled. Green tea has a leafier, more herb like taste than black tea.
Oolong and Pouchong teas are partially oxidized for half the time of a black tea.
Rooibos is a wild-grown tea plant of South African origin. It is naturally caffeine-free, and is packed with antioxidants used for soothing colic infants and pregnant women.
Tea Facts.. Did you know?
All types of tea, in particular green tea, are packed with antioxidants that help prevent certain conditions such as heart disease, stroke and some cancers.
Tea carries only half the amount of caffeine found in coffee.
Iced tea was invented at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis by Richard Blechynden. He had come to the fair to offer free samples of his hot tea, but upon realizing that no one was drinking the hot beverage in such humid weather, he dumped a load of ice into his freshly brewed tea, and it was an instant hit.
Today, more than 80 percent of the tea served in the United States today is iced tea.
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Historical facts about Chocolate
Originally consumed as a beverage, chocolate comes from the seeds of 'melon-like' pods on the Cacao trees found in Central and South America. The Aztecs as well as many other ancient cultures within the region began mixing ground cacao seeds with various seasonings to make a spicy, thick drink called xocoatl that was quite different than the chocolate consumed in America today. Europeans later added sugar to this New World beverage to enhance its sweetness to suit their taste. Eventually, the Dutch formulated a powdered cocoa requiring only added water in order to create their own version of the chocolate drink. This cocoa drink gained popularity as a medicine and aphrodisiac, but eating solid chocolate was not introduced until the late 17th century.
How is chocolate made?
Workers cut the fruit of the cacao tree, or pods open and scoop out the beans which are allowed to ferment and then dry. After being cleaned, they are roasted and hulled and once the shells have been removed they are called nibs. Then they are ground up and the cocoa butter is released. The heat from the grinding process causes the mixture of cocoa butter and ground nibs to melt and form a free-flowing substance known as chocolate liquor. From this point, different varieties of chocolate are produced.
Chocolate must be tempered before being used in baking. Tempering returns the cocoa butter crystals to suspension within the chocolate mass and produces a chocolate with a dark glossy appearance and a firm consistency. The three steps to tempering chocolate are melting, cooling, and warming. These steps are done through the use of double boiler, which controls heat exposure to the chocolate. When the tempering process is complete, the chocolate is is brought to the most stable cystalline form, resulting in a hard, shiny chocolate that is ready to be used for any baking purpose.
Is chocolate really an aphrodisiac?
Chocolate contains three substances that have three very different purposes; caffeine, theobromine and phenyethylamine. The caffeine in chocolate acts as a very mild stimulant while the theobromine stimulates the heart muscles and nervous system. The phenyethylamine in chocolate has been shown to be a mood elevator and an anti-depressant. The combination of these three substances,giving you extra energy, making your heart beat faster, as well as making you a bit jumpy is the reason that chocolate is considered by many to be an aphrodisiac.
Chocolate Facts
One study shows that the smell of chocolate increases theta waves in the brain, which is and indicator of increased relaxation.
The melting point of cocoa butter is just below the human body temperature (98.6 degrees) — which is why it literally “melts in your mouth.”
The average American consumes almost 12 pounds of chocolate each year.
Chocolate is America's favorite flavor, according to recent surveys with a little over 50% of adults preferring chocolate to other flavors.
*Our drinking chocolate is made with the purest ingredients to enhance the chocolate flavor. Our milk chocolate is primarily chocolate with a little sugar added for a bit of sweetness, and fat to enhance the texture. Our European-style chocolate does not use any milk or dairy products, and produces a pure, rich, intense chocolate flavor that is as close to drinking chocolate in a cup as possible. For those that prefer milk chocolate, we offer an American-style chocolate drink using our European chocolate as a base with added steamed textured milk.
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Security Council Wikipedia Overview

United Nations Security Council
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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"Security Council" redirects here. For other uses, see Security Council (disambiguation).
"UNSC" redirects here. For other uses, see UNSC (disambiguation).
United Nations Security Council
UN Security Council chamber in New York
Org type:
Principal Organ
Acronyms:
UNSC
Head:
Security Council President (rotating)February 2007: Slovakia
Status:
Active
Established:
1945
Website:
http://www.un.org/Docs/sc/
WikimediaCommons:
United Nations Security Council
Portal:
United Nations Portal
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is the organ of the United Nations charged with maintaining peace and security among nations. While other organs of the United Nations only make recommendations to member governments, the Security Council has the power to make decisions which member governments must carry out under the United Nations Charter. The decisions of the Council are known as United Nations Security Council Resolutions. The Security Council is made up of 15 member states, consisting of five permanent seats and ten temporary seats. The permanent five are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. These members hold veto power over substantive but not procedural resolutions. The ten temporary seats are held for two-year terms with member states voted in by the UN General Assembly on a regional basis. The Presidency of the Security Council is rotated alphabetically each month.
Contents[hide]
1 History
2 Members
2.1 Permanent members
2.2 Elected members
3 Veto power
4 Status of non-members
5 Role of the Security Council
6 Resolutions
7 Membership reform
8 Criticisms of the Security Council
9 In popular culture
10 See also
11 References
12 External links
//

[edit] History
The Security Council held its first session on 17 January 1946 at Church House, London.
Since its first meeting, the Council, which exists in continuous session, has travelled widely, holding meetings in many cities, such as Paris and Addis Ababa. For the most part, however, it has remained located at UN Headquarters — first at Lake Success in New York and then at its current home in New York City.
Significant changes in the Council’s composition have occurred on three occasions. In 1965, amendments to articles 23 and 27 of the Charter came into effect, increasing the number of elected members from six to ten.
In 1971 the General Assembly voted to remove the representative of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and seat the delegate from the People's Republic of China as the legitimate representative of China. Because the issue was presented as one involving which delegation would properly represent China rather than that of an admission or expulsion of a member, this issue required only action by the General Assembly and circumvented the inability of the Assembly to expel a member of the Council without the Council’s endorsement (subject to veto), or the lack of an amendment to article 23 specifying the identity of the permanent members.
Similarly, there was no amendment to article 23 following the collapse of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1991. In much less contentious circumstances the Russian Federation acceded to the former Soviet seat.

[edit] Members

The Security Council as of 2007, showing permanent members and current elected members.
A Security Council member must always be present at UN headquarters in New York so that the Security Council can meet at any time. This requirement of the United Nations Charter was adopted to address a weakness of the League of Nations since that organization was often unable to respond quickly to crises.
The role of president of the Security Council involves setting the agenda, presiding at its meetings and overseeing any crisis. It rotates in alphabetical order of the members' names in English.
There are two categories of membership in the UN Security Council: Permanent Members and Elected Members.

[edit] Permanent members
See also: China and the United Nations, France and the United Nations, Russia's membership in the United Nations, Soviet Union and the United Nations, United Kingdom and the United Nations, and United States and the United Nations
The Council seated five permanent members who were originally drawn from the victorious powers after World War II:
The Republic of China
The French Republic
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
The United States of America
Two of the original members, the Republic of China and Soviet Union, were later replaced by recognized successor states, even though Article 23 of the Charter of the United Nations has not been accordingly amended:
The People's Republic of China
The Russian Federation
In 1971, the People's Republic of China was awarded China's seat in the United Nations by UN General Assembly Resolution 2758, and the Republic of China (which had lost mainland China and was limited to Taiwan since 1949) soon lost membership in all UN organs. In 1991, Russia acquired the seat originally held by the Soviet Union, including the Soviet Union's former representation in the Security Council.
The five permanent members of the Security Council are the only nations recognized as possessing nuclear weapons under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, although it lacks universal validity, as some nuclear nations have not signed the treaty. This nuclear status is not the result of their Security Council membership, though it is sometimes used as a modern-day justification for their continued presence on the body. India, Pakistan, North Korea, and Israel (though Israel has never itself admitted to nuclear weapons possession) possess nuclear weapons outside of the anti-proliferation framework established by the Treaty. In 2004, four of the five permanent members were also the world's top four weapons exporters when measured by arms value; China was seventh.
Each permanent member state has veto powers, which can be used to void any substantive resolution. A single veto from a permanent member outweighs any majority. This is not technically a veto, rather just a "nay" vote; however any "nay" vote from a permanent member would block the passage of the resolution in question.
The Permanent Representatives of the U.N. Security Council permanent members are Wang Guangya, Jean-Marc de La Sablière, Vitaly I. Churkin, and Sir Emyr Jones Parry, and John R. Bolton .[1]
Bolton, facing difficulty in the nomination process from the now-Democratic US Senate has resigned; he is temporarily replaced by acting Ambassador Alejandro Daniel Wolff. Current United States Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad has been nominated to permanently replace Bolton.

[edit] Elected members
See also: List of elected members of the United Nations Security Council
Ten other members are elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms starting on 1 January, with five replaced each year. The members are chosen by regional groups and confirmed by the United Nations General Assembly. The African bloc chooses three members; the Latin America and the Caribbean, Asian, and Western European and Others blocs choose two members each; and the Eastern European bloc chooses one member. Also, one of these members is an Arab country, alternately from the Asian or African bloc.[2]
The current (2007) elected members, with the region they were elected to represent and their UN Permanent Representative, are:
Belgium (Western Europe)
Republic of the Congo (Africa) -Basile Ikouebe
Ghana (Africa) - Nana Effah-Apenteng
Indonesia (Asia)
Italy (Western Europe) - Marcello Spatafora
Panama (Latin America and Caribbean)
Peru (Latin America and Caribbean) - Oswaldo de Rivero
Qatar (Asia, Arab) - Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser
Slovakia (Eastern Europe) - Peter Burian
South Africa (Africa)

[edit] Veto power
Main article: United Nations Security Council veto power
Under article 27 of the UN Charter decisions in the 15-member Security Council on all substantive matters—for example, a decision calling for direct measures related to the settlement of a dispute—require the affirmative votes of nine members. A negative vote—a veto—by a permanent member prevents adoption of a proposal, even if it has received the required number of affirmative votes. Abstention is not regarded as a veto despite the wording of the Charter. Since the Security Council's inception, China (ROC/PRC) has used 5 vetoes; France, 18; Russia/USSR, 122; the United Kingdom, 32; and the United States, 81. The majority of Russian/Soviet vetoes were in the first ten years of the Council's existence. Since 1984, the numbers have been: China, 2; France, 3; Russia/USSR, 4; the United Kingdom, 10; and the United States, 43.
Procedural matters are not subject to a Security Council veto. This provision is important because it prevents the veto from being used to avoid discussion of an issue.

[edit] Status of non-members
A state that is a member of the UN, but not of the Security Council, may participate in Security Council discussions in which the Council agrees that the country's interests are particularly affected. In recent years, the Council has interpreted this loosely, enabling many countries to take part in its discussions or not depending on how they interpret the validity of the country's interest. Non-members are routinely invited to take part when they are parties to disputes being considered by the Council.

[edit] Role of the Security Council
UN Security Council Resolutions
Sources:UN Security CouncilUNBISnet
1 to 100 (1946-1953)
101 to 200 (1953-1965)
201 to 300 (1965-1971)
301 to 400 (1971-1976)
401 to 500 (1976-1982)
501 to 600 (1982-1987)
601 to 700 (1987-1991)
701 to 800 (1991-1993)
801 to 900 (1993-1994)
901 to 1000 (1994-1995)
1001 to 1100 (1995-1997)
1101 to 1200 (1997-1998)
1201 to 1300 (1998-2000)
1301 to 1400 (2000-2002)
1401 to 1500 (2002-2003)
1501 to 1600 (2003-2005)
1601 to 1700 (2005-2006)
1701 to 1800 (2006-present)
Under Chapter Six of the Charter, "Pacific Settlement of Disputes", the Security Council "may investigate any dispute, or any situation which might lead to international friction or give rise to a dispute". The Council may "recommend appropriate procedures or methods of adjustment" if it determines that the situation might endanger international peace and security. These recommendations are not binding on UN members.
Under Chapter Seven, the Council has broader power to decide what measures are to be taken in situations involving "threats to the peace, breaches of the peace, or acts of aggression". In such situations, the Council is not limited to recommendations but may take action, including the use of armed force "to maintain or restore international peace and security". This was the basis for UN armed action in Korea in 1950 during the Korean War and the use of coalition forces in Iraq and Kuwait in 1991. Decisions taken under Chapter Seven, such as economic sanctions, are binding on UN members.

The now former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell holding a model vial of anthrax while giving a presentation to the United Nations Security Council
The UN's role in international collective security is defined by the UN Charter, which gives the Security Council the power to:
Investigate any situation threatening international peace;
Recommend procedures for peaceful resolution of a dispute;
Call upon other member nations to completely or partially interrupt economic relations as well as sea, air, postal, and radio communications, or to sever diplomatic relations; and
Enforce its decisions militarily, if necessary.
The United Nations has helped prevent many outbreaks of international violence from growing into wider conflicts. It has opened the way to negotiated settlements through its service as a center of debate and negotiation, as well as through UN-sponsored fact-finding missions, mediators, and truce observers. UN Peacekeeping forces, comprised of troops and equipment supplied by member nations, have usually been able to limit or prevent conflict, although sometimes not. Some conflicts, however, have proven to be beyond the capacity of the UN to influence. Key to the success of UN peacekeeping efforts is the willingness of the parties to a conflict to come to terms peacefully through a viable political process.
The Council can indict nationals of countries that have not signed the International Criminal Court statute for trial before the court. Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe is an example of a possible case, whose indictment has been called for by Australia and New Zealand.

[edit] Resolutions
The legally binding nature of Security Council Resolutions has been the subject of some controversy. It is generally agreed that resolutions are legally binding if they are made under Chapter VII (Action with Respect to Threats to the Peace, Breaches of the Peace, and Acts of Aggression) of the Charter. The Council is also empowered to make resolutions under Chapter VI (Pacific Settlement of Disputes); most authorities do not consider these to be legally binding. The International Court of Justice suggested in the Namibia case that resolutions other than those made under Chapter VI can also be binding[3], a view that some Member States have questioned. Others have asserted that Chapter VI resolutions are non-binding, but may contain binding sections [4] It is beyond doubt however that those resolutions made outside these two Chapters dealing with the internal governance of the organization (such as the admission of new Member States) are legally binding, where the Charter gives the Security Council power to make them.
If the council cannot reach consensus or a passing vote on a resolution, they may choose to produce a non-binding Presidential Statement instead of a Resolution. They are adopted by consensus but often require similar behind closed doors wrangling. They are meant to apply political pressure, a warning that the council is paying attention and further action may follow. Press statements typically accompany both resolutions and Presidential Statements, carrying the text of the document adopted by the body and also some explanatory text. They may also be released independently, after a significant meeting.

[edit] Membership reform

The G4 nations (India, Germany, Japan and Brazil) support each other’s bid for permanent seats on the Security Council.
Main article: Reform of the United Nations Security Council
There has been discussion of an increase in the number of permanent members. The countries who have made the strongest demands for permanent seats are Brazil, Germany, India and Japan. Indeed, Japan and Germany are the UN's second and third largest funders, respectively, while Brazil, the largest South American nation, and India, the world's second most populous country, are two of the largest contributors of troops to UN-mandated peace-keeping missions. This project has found opposition in a group of countries called Uniting for Consensus.
Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan asked a team of advisors to come up with recommendations for revamping the United Nations by the end of 2004. A proposed solution is to increase the number of permanent members by five, which, in most proposals, would include Brazil, Germany, India, Japan (known as the G4 nations), one seat from Africa (most likely between Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa) and/or one seat from the Arab League [2]. On 21 September 2004, the G4 nations issued a joint statement mutually backing each other's claim to permanent status, together with an African country. France and the United Kingdom declared that they support this claim. Currently the proposal has to be accepted by two-thirds of the General Assembly (128 votes).

[edit] Criticisms of the Security Council
There have been criticisms that the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (who are all nuclear powers) have created an exclusive nuclear club whose powers are unchecked. The lack of true international representation in the United Nations Security Council, as exists in the General Assembly, has led to accusations that the UNSC only addresses the strategic interests and political motives of the permanent members, especially in humanitarian interventions. For example, take the eagerness to protect oil-rich Kuwaitis in 1991 compared to the lack of enthusiasm to protect resource-poor Rwandans in 1994[5]. Non-nuclear countries can be elected to serve a temporary term on the Security Council, but critics have suggested this is inadequate. Critics have suggested that expanding the number of permanent members to include non-nuclear powers would democratize the organization.[3]. Still other nations have advocated abolishing the concept of permanency altogether; Canada under the government of Paul Martin advocated this approach [6]; Stephen Harper's government has yet to comment.
Another criticism of the Security Council involves the veto power of the 5 permanent nations. As it stands, one veto from any of the "Big Five" (Russia, China, the United States, the United Kingdom and France) can halt any possible action the Council may take. One nation's objection, rather than the opinions of a majority of nations, may cripple any possible UN armed or diplomatic response to a crisis.
Other critics and even proponents of the Security Council question its effectiveness and relevance because in most high profile cases, there are essentially no consequences for violating a Security Council resolution. The most prominent and dramatic example of this became the Darfur crisis, in which Arab Janjaweed militias, supported by the Sudanese government, committed repeated acts of ethnic cleansing and genocide against the indigenous population thus far killing an estimate of 300.000 civilians in what is the largest case of mass murder in the history of the region, yet the U.N. has continuously failed to act against this severe and ongoing human rights issue. Another such case occurred in the Srebrenica massacre where Serbian troops committed genocide against Bosnian Muslims in the largest case of mass murder upon the European continent since World War II. Srebrenica had been declared a U.N. "safe area" and was even protected by 400 armed Dutch peacekeepers, but the U.N. forces did nothing to prevent the massacre. [dubious — see talk page]
Other critics object to the idea that the U.N. is a democratic organization, saying that it represents the interests of the nations who form it and not necessarily the individuals within those nations.

[edit] In popular culture
The Interpreter is a 2005 film featuring a fictional African head of state, apparently based on Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe, seeking to avoid being indicted by the UN Security Council for trial before the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of crimes against humanity. Australia, New Zealand, and international human rights organizations have backed the call for Mugabe's indictment. As Zimbabwe is a non-signatory of the ICC statute, an ICC trial requires either a UN Security Council indictment, or for Zimbabwe to accept the ICC’s jurisdiction.
Lord of War is a 2005 film about arms dealing. The film includes a closing caption that while private arms dealers do profitable business the world over, they can come nowhere close to the arms dealings and revenue generated by national governments. The film states that the world's top five arms exporters are the United States, United Kingdom, Russia, China and France, and each of these nations are also permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. While the United States is indeed the largest weapons exporter in the world by far, the validity of this claim as applied to some of the other nations, has been actively debated (see Top Arms Exporters). Despite the possible inaccuracy, this suggests that arms dealing will not be dealt with as the five permanent members all agree it is in their best interests not to address it.

[edit] See also
List of UN Security Council Resolutions
Reform of the United Nations
United Nations
United Nations Member States
United Nations System
UN General Assembly
UN Economic and Social Council
UN Trusteeship Council
UN Secretariat
International Court of Justice
Military Staff Committee

[edit] References
^ http://missions.un.int/protocol/documents/HeadsofMissions.pdf
^ "The United Nations Security Council", The Green Papers. Retrieved 14 May 2006.
^ "The Legal Effects of Resolutions of the UN Security Council and General Assembly in the Jurisprudence of the ICJ", Marko Divac Öberg, European Journal of International Law 2005 16(5):879-906
^ "Behind the Headlines: UN Security Council Resolution 1701" Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 12 Aug 2006, accessed 17 Oct 2006
^ Rajan, Chella. "Global Politics and Institutions". Frontiers of a Great Transistion. Vol. 3. Tellus Institute, 2006.
^ [1]

[edit] External links
UN Security Council - official site
UN Security Council - Background
Global Policy Forum - UN Security Council
Global Policy Forum - veto patterns of the Security Council
Security Council Report - timely, accurate and objective information and analysis on the Council's activities
Hans Köchler, The Voting Procedure in the United Nations Security Council
Reform the United Nations website - tracking developments
History of the United Nations - UK Government site
Who will be the next Secretary General?
The different projects of reform (G4, Africa Union, United for consensus) (French, 2006)
[4]UNSC cyberschool
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United Nations resolutions: General Assembly • Security Council
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Permanent Members: China • France • Russia • United Kingdom • United States
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Resolution to Establish Human Rights Council

United Nations A/RES/60/251
General Assembly Distr.: General
3 April 2006
Sixtieth session
Agenda items 46 and 120
05-50266
Resolution adopted by the General Assembly
[without reference to a Main Committee (A/60/L.48)]
60/251. Human Rights Council
The General Assembly,
Reaffirming the purposes and principles contained in the Charter of the United
Nations, including developing friendly relations among nations based on respect for
the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and achieving
international cooperation in solving international problems of an economic, social,
cultural or humanitarian character and in promoting and encouraging respect for
human rights and fundamental freedoms for all,
Reaffirming also the Universal Declaration of Human Rights1 and the Vienna
Declaration and Programme of Action,2 and recalling the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights,3 the International Covenant on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights3 and other human rights instruments,
Reaffirming further that all human rights are universal, indivisible,
interrelated, interdependent and mutually reinforcing, and that all human rights must
be treated in a fair and equal manner, on the same footing and with the same
emphasis,
Reaffirming that, while the significance of national and regional particularities
and various historical, cultural and religious backgrounds must be borne in mind, all
States, regardless of their political, economic and cultural systems, have the duty to
promote and protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms,
Emphasizing the responsibilities of all States, in conformity with the Charter,
to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, without distinction of any
kind as to race, colour, sex, language or religion, political or other opinion, national
or social origin, property, birth or other status,
Acknowledging that peace and security, development and human rights are the
pillars of the United Nations system and the foundations for collective security and
well-being, and recognizing that development, peace and security and human rights
are interlinked and mutually reinforcing,
_______________
1 Resolution 217 A (III).
2 A/CONF.157/24 (Part I), chap. III.
3 See resolution 2200 A (XXI), annex.
A/RES/60/251
2
Affirming the need for all States to continue international efforts to enhance
dialogue and broaden understanding among civilizations, cultures and religions, and
emphasizing that States, regional organizations, non-governmental organizations,
religious bodies and the media have an important role to play in promoting
tolerance, respect for and freedom of religion and belief,
Recognizing the work undertaken by the Commission on Human Rights and
the need to preserve and build on its achievements and to redress its shortcomings,
Recognizing also the importance of ensuring universality, objectivity and
non-selectivity in the consideration of human rights issues, and the elimination of
double standards and politicization,
Recognizing further that the promotion and protection of human rights should
be based on the principles of cooperation and genuine dialogue and aimed at
strengthening the capacity of Member States to comply with their human rights
obligations for the benefit of all human beings,
Acknowledging that non-governmental organizations play an important role at
the national, regional and international levels, in the promotion and protection of
human rights,
Reaffirming the commitment to strengthen the United Nations human rights
machinery, with the aim of ensuring effective enjoyment by all of all human rights,
civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to
development, and to that end, the resolve to create a Human Rights Council,
1. Decides to establish the Human Rights Council, based in Geneva, in
replacement of the Commission on Human Rights, as a subsidiary organ of the
General Assembly; the Assembly shall review the status of the Council within five
years;
2. Decides that the Council shall be responsible for promoting universal
respect for the protection of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all,
without distinction of any kind and in a fair and equal manner;
3. Decides also that the Council should address situations of violations of
human rights, including gross and systematic violations, and make
recommendations thereon. It should also promote the effective coordination and the
mainstreaming of human rights within the United Nations system;
4. Decides further that the work of the Council shall be guided by the
principles of universality, impartiality, objectivity and non-selectivity, constructive
international dialogue and cooperation, with a view to enhancing the promotion and
protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights,
including the right to development;
5. Decides that the Council shall, inter alia:
(a) Promote human rights education and learning as well as advisory
services, technical assistance and capacity-building, to be provided in consultation
with and with the consent of Member States concerned;
(b) Serve as a forum for dialogue on thematic issues on all human rights;
(c) Make recommendations to the General Assembly for the further
development of international law in the field of human rights;
(d) Promote the full implementation of human rights obligations undertaken
by States and follow-up to the goals and commitments related to the promotion and
A/RES/60/251
3
protection of human rights emanating from United Nations conferences and
summits;
(e) Undertake a universal periodic review, based on objective and reliable
information, of the fulfilment by each State of its human rights obligations and
commitments in a manner which ensures universality of coverage and equal
treatment with respect to all States; the review shall be a cooperative mechanism,
based on an interactive dialogue, with the full involvement of the country concerned
and with consideration given to its capacity-building needs; such a mechanism shall
complement and not duplicate the work of treaty bodies; the Council shall develop
the modalities and necessary time allocation for the universal periodic review
mechanism within one year after the holding of its first session;
(f) Contribute, through dialogue and cooperation, towards the prevention of
human rights violations and respond promptly to human rights emergencies;
(g) Assume the role and responsibilities of the Commission on Human
Rights relating to the work of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner
for Human Rights, as decided by the General Assembly in its resolution 48/141 of
20 December 1993;
(h) Work in close cooperation in the field of human rights with
Governments, regional organizations, national human rights institutions and civil
society;
(i) Make recommendations with regard to the promotion and protection of
human rights;
(j) Submit an annual report to the General Assembly;
6. Decides also that the Council shall assume, review and, where necessary,
improve and rationalize all mandates, mechanisms, functions and responsibilities of
the Commission on Human Rights in order to maintain a system of special
procedures, expert advice and a complaint procedure; the Council shall complete
this review within one year after the holding of its first session;
7. Decides further that the Council shall consist of forty-seven Member
States, which shall be elected directly and individually by secret ballot by the
majority of the members of the General Assembly; the membership shall be based
on equitable geographical distribution, and seats shall be distributed as follows
among regional groups: Group of African States, thirteen; Group of Asian States,
thirteen; Group of Eastern European States, six; Group of Latin American and
Caribbean States, eight; and Group of Western European and other States, seven; the
members of the Council shall serve for a period of three years and shall not be
eligible for immediate re-election after two consecutive terms;
8. Decides that the membership in the Council shall be open to all States
Members of the United Nations; when electing members of the Council, Member
States shall take into account the contribution of candidates to the promotion and
protection of human rights and their voluntary pledges and commitments made
thereto; the General Assembly, by a two-thirds majority of the members present and
voting, may suspend the rights of membership in the Council of a member of the
Council that commits gross and systematic violations of human rights;
9. Decides also that members elected to the Council shall uphold the
highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights, shall fully
cooperate with the Council and be reviewed under the universal periodic review
mechanism during their term of membership;
A/RES/60/251
4
10. Decides further that the Council shall meet regularly throughout the year
and schedule no fewer than three sessions per year, including a main session, for a
total duration of no less than ten weeks, and shall be able to hold special sessions,
when needed, at the request of a member of the Council with the support of one
third of the membership of the Council;
11. Decides that the Council shall apply the rules of procedure established
for committees of the General Assembly, as applicable, unless subsequently
otherwise decided by the Assembly or the Council, and also decides that the
participation of and consultation with observers, including States that are not
members of the Council, the specialized agencies, other intergovernmental
organizations and national human rights institutions, as well as non-governmental
organizations, shall be based on arrangements, including Economic and Social
Council resolution 1996/31 of 25 July 1996 and practices observed by the
Commission on Human Rights, while ensuring the most effective contribution of
these entities;
12. Decides also that the methods of work of the Council shall be
transparent, fair and impartial and shall enable genuine dialogue, be resultsoriented,
allow for subsequent follow-up discussions to recommendations and their
implementation and also allow for substantive interaction with special procedures
and mechanisms;
13. Recommends that the Economic and Social Council request the
Commission on Human Rights to conclude its work at its sixty-second session, and
that it abolish the Commission on 16 June 2006;
14. Decides to elect the new members of the Council; the terms of
membership shall be staggered, and such decision shall be taken for the first
election by the drawing of lots, taking into consideration equitable geographical
distribution;
15. Decides also that elections of the first members of the Council shall take
place on 9 May 2006, and that the first meeting of the Council shall be convened on
19 June 2006;
16. Decides further that the Council shall review its work and functioning
five years after its establishment and report to the General Assembly.
72nd plenary meeting
15 March 2006
http://www.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/docs/A.RES.60.251_En.pdf