Which of the following countries have a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council?
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Read a brief summary of this topicUnited Nations Security Council, United Nations (UN) organ whose primary responsibility is the maintenance of international peace and security. Structure and proceduresThe Security Council originally consisted of 11 members—five permanent members (the Republic of China [Taiwan], France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States) and six nonpermanent members elected by the UN General Assembly for two-year terms. An amendment to the UN Charter in 1965 increased council membership to 15, including the original five permanent members and 10 nonpermanent members. Among the permanent members, the People’s Republic of China replaced the Republic of China in 1971, and the Russian Federation succeeded the Soviet Union in 1991. The nonpermanent members are generally chosen to achieve equitable representation among geographic regions, with five members coming from Africa or Asia, one from eastern Europe, two from Latin America, and two from western Europe or other areas. Five of the 10 nonpermanent members are elected each year by the General Assembly for two-year terms, and five retire each year. The presidency is held by each member in rotation for a period of one month. Each member has one vote. On all “procedural” matters—the definition of which is sometimes in dispute—decisions by the council are made by an affirmative vote of any nine of its members. Substantive matters, such as the investigation of a dispute or the application of sanctions, also require nine affirmative votes, including those of the five permanent members holding veto power. In practice, however, a permanent member may abstain without impairing the validity of the decision. A vote on whether a matter is procedural or substantive is itself a substantive question. Because the Security Council is required to function continuously, each member is represented at all times at the United Nations headquarters in New York City. The composition of the Security Council has been a contentious matter, particularly since the end of the Cold War. Critics have argued that the Security Council and its five permanent members reflect the power structure that existed at the end of World War II, when much of the world was under colonial rule. Reform efforts have remained elusive but have centred on efforts to make the work of the Security Council more transparent and on demands by important non-permanent members, such as Brazil, Germany, India, and Japan (the so-called G-4), to obtain permanent membership—or at least have special status within the Security Council. One proposal put forward by the G-4 countries was to increase the membership of the Security Council to 25 seats by adding six new permanent members, including one each for themselves and two for Africa. Any state—even if it is not a member of the UN—may bring a dispute to which it is a party to the attention of the Security Council. When there is a complaint, the council first explores the possibility of a peaceful resolution. International peacekeeping forces may be authorized to keep warring parties apart pending further negotiations (see United Nations Peacekeeping Forces). If the council finds that there is a real threat to the peace, a breach of the peace, or an act of aggression (as defined by Article 39 of the UN Charter), it may call upon UN members to apply diplomatic or economic sanctions. If these methods prove inadequate, the UN Charter allows the Security Council to take military action against the offending nation. In addition to several standing and ad hoc committees, the work of the council is facilitated by the Military Staff Committee, Sanctions Committees for each of the states under sanctions, Peacekeeping Forces Committees, and an International Tribunals Committee. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Subscribe Now Synopsis The five permanent members are Russia, the UK, China, France and the United States and these countries can veto any resolution. There has been growing demand to increase the number of permanent members to reflect the contemporary global reality. India, Brazil, South Africa, Germany and Japan are strong contenders for permanent membership of the UNSC which has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security.Four out of five permanent members of the UN Security Council (UNSC) have supported India's candidature for a permanent seat in the top world body, the government told the Lok Sabha on Friday. In response to a question, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said India has been consistently taking up China the issue of reform of the UNSC. China is the only country which has not yet supported India's bid to become a member of the UNSC. "Four out of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council have bilaterally expressed official affirmations of support for India's candidature to a permanent seat in an expanded UN Security Council," the minister said. Muraleedharan said the government has accorded the "highest priority" to getting permanent membership for India in an expanded UNSC. "Towards this end, the government has undertaken various initiatives aimed at building international support for India. The matter is consistently taken up during bilateral and multilateral meetings at all levels, including at the highest levels," he said. He also referred to comments by a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson last year following India-China consultations on the UNSC. Muraleedharan said the spokesperson, responding to a question, said that China supports UNSC reforms in a manner that increases the authority and efficacy of the body and increases the representation and voice of developing countries so that the small and medium-sized countries have a greater opportunity to participate in the decision making process. At present, the UNSC comprises five permanent members and 10 non-permanent member countries which are elected for a two-year term by the General Assembly of the UN. The five permanent members are Russia, the UK, China, France and the United States and these countries can veto any resolution. There has been growing demand to increase the number of permanent members to reflect the contemporary global reality. India, Brazil, South Africa, Germany and Japan are strong contenders for permanent membership of the UNSC which has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. An Inter-Governmental Negotiation (IGN) process of the UN has been working on various aspects of the reform, including categories of membership, issues relating to the veto power and regional representation. "The process of UNSC reforms is being presently discussed under the IGN framework of the UN General Assembly, where India along with like-minded countries have been pushing for text-based negotiations to commence on an urgent basis," Muraleedharan said. He said India is also working alongside other reform-oriented countries through its membership in G-4 (India, Japan, Brazil and Germany) and the L.69 Group (a cross regional group of countries from Asia, Africa and Latin America). Read More News on(Catch all the Business News, Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News. ...morelessETPrime stories of the day Which countries want permanent seats in the UN?The five permanent members are Russia, the UK, China, France and the United States and these countries can veto any substantive resolution. There has been growing demand to increase the number of permanent members to reflect the contemporary global reality.
How many countries are permanent member of the United Nations Security Council Class 9?The UN Security Council comprises of 10 non-permanent members who are voted by the General Assembly and 5 permanent members. The permanent members of the UN Security Council are the United States of America, Britain, China, France, and Russia.
Which of these countries holds a permanent seat on the UN Security Council along with the United States Britain France and China?The Security Council has five permanent members—China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States—collectively known as the P5. Any one of them can veto a resolution.
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