Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter

Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter talks about how groups of countries can work together to solve problems. It says that groups like the African Union can try to help settle disputes before the UN Security Council gets involved. But, if the group wants to take stronger action, they still need permission from the UN Security Council.

This part of the Charter also mentions some countries that were enemies when the UN was being created, like Japan and Germany, during the time of World War II. Some people have suggested taking those references out, but it hasn’t happened yet. This idea is similar to a rule in an older agreement called the Covenant of the League of Nations, which let countries make their own agreements to keep peace, like the Monroe Doctrine.