The U.S. Mission’s Military Staff Committee (MSC) holds two major responsibilities for the U.S. Delegation to the United Nations. First, the MSC represents the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on the United Nations Military Staff Committee, a subsidiary body of the UN Security Council, composed of military representatives of the Permanent Five (P5) members of the Security Council. Second, the MSC advises the U.S. Permanent Representative and the staff of the United States Mission to the United Nations on military and security aspects of United Nations peacekeeping operations.
The United Nations MSC was established under the provisions of Chapter VII, Article 47 of the UN Charter. Subsequently, the U.S. Congress passed legislation (Title X, US Code) directing that the Joint Chiefs of Staff assume responsibility for U.S. representation on the UN MSC. The legislation provided that a permanent military delegation be established as part of the United States Mission to the United Nations to support this function. The Director for Plans and Policy of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (J5) has oversight for the U.S. Delegation to the UN MSC and acts as the Pentagon’s primary interface with USUN.
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