 a national security council (nsc) is usually an executive branch governmental body responsible for coordinating policy on national security issues and advising chief executives on matters related to national security. an nsc is often headed by a national security advisor and staffed with senior-level officials from military, diplomatic, intelligence, law enforcement and other governmental bodies. the functions and responsibilities of an nsc at the strategic state level are different from those of the united nations security council, which is more of a diplomatic forum. occasionally a nation will be ruled by a similarly named body, such as "the national security committee" or "council for national security". these bodies are often a result of the establishment or preservation of a military dictatorship (or some other national crisis), do not always have statutory approval, and are usually intended to have transitory or provisional powers. see also: coup d'Ã©tat. some nations may have a similar body which is not formally part of the executive government. for example, the central national security commission in china is an organ of the communist party of china, the sole ruling party, rather than an organ of the executive government. ==nscs by country== * australia: national security committee * armenia: national defense council * brazil: national defense council * china, people's republic: central national security commission of the communist party of china * croatia: national security council (croatia) * east germany: national defense council of east germany * estonia: national defence council * fiji: national security council (fiji) * georgia: national security council of georgia * germany: bundessicherheitsrat (federal security council), prior to 1969 bundesverteidigungsrat (federal defense council) * ghana: national security council (ghana) * india: national security council (india) * iran, islamic republic of: supreme national security council * israel: national security council (israel) * japan: national security council (japan) (previously security council) * malaysia: national security division * korea, north: national defense commission (democratic people's republic of korea) * korea, south: national security council (south korea) * new
National_security_councils