The Trusteeship Council was set up as one of the main organs of the United Nations to administer and support the transition to independence and selfgovernance of the colonies held by the Axis Powers from World War II as well as the territories mandated by the League of Nations.  

From the beginning there were 12 such territories, most of them in Africa and the Pacific. Today they have all attained selfgovernemnt, and when, in 1994, Palau - a group of islands in the Pacific, administered by the United States, as the last trust territory became an independent nation, the Council suspended its activities.   

The Trusteeship Council has completed its mission, but it continues to exist on paper, under the UN Charter. Its future role remains, however, uncertain.

Structure

The Trusteeship Council consists of the five permanent members of the Security Council: China, France, Russian Federation, United Kingdom and United States.

Functions

The Trusteeship Council no longer has a secretariat, and through an amendment to the Rules of Procedure, it is no longer obliged to meet annually, but may meet as the occasion requires. 

When debating the reform of the United Nations, the question of the future prospects for the Trusteeship Council is included.