Why Does the United Nations Security Council Only Have 5 Permanent Members?
Is it just a legacy from a bygone era?
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six bodies that make up the United Nations (UN) and is responsible for ensuring international peace and security.
It comprises fifteen members, with the five permanent members being China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, and ten non-permanent members elected for two-year terms.
The five members have the power to veto any resolution, regardless of the level of international support the draft may have, and their terms never expire.
Although there are countries that have been elected multiple times, they do not have the same veto powers. For example, Japan has been elected eleven times, while Brazil has had ten terms. It could be said that in a few decades from now, some of these countries may wield even more power than the existing UNSC members.
So the question is, why are there only five permanent members, and who decided them?
The History of the UNSC
In the aftermath of World War Two, there was rapid change. European empires collapsed, new countries began to emerge, and political ideologies like communism…
