Why The United Nations Security Council Only Has 5 Permanent Members

The “United Nations Security Council” also simply known or called the “UNSC” has always existed as one of the foremost bodies that makes solution available to extreme security issues and fights to avoid wars in Europe and in many parts of the world. For decades, It existed mainly as one of the six known bodies that generally make up the United Nations and it’s basic purpose is to provide or ensure peace on an international level. While it consists of 15 members, there are just five of them who are called or regarded as the permanent members. These permanent members are sometimes said to possess some kind of “veto power” in the sub- of the UN. They include, China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. 

The reason the above stated countries are referred to as permanent members is that unlike the ten other countries that are elected for two-year terms, these countries are always present regardless of the situation or time. As stated earlier, they possess veto power in any form of resolution that is to occur or any form of conclusion that would be reached in the security council. This veto power is of course regardless of the level of international support the draft being discussed at any given time may have, and their terms never expire. When looking at this words carefully, it tends to present an idea that the world seems to be strategically placed under the wings of these nations when it comes to security. We could say that nations of the world depend on these five nations greatly when security issues are to be faced.

The fact that these countries exists as permanent members does not necessarily affect the position of other countries that have been elected multiple times. Nations like Japan and Brazil would initially seem as though they are permanent members because of the number of times they have been elected. For instance, Brazil has been elected to the council at least ten times while Japan has been elected eleven times over the past years. The number of years these countries use does not necessarily make them permanent, there still exists just five permanent members and below you will find out why. 

To understand why these five countries exists as permanent members and how this positioning started, we must take a walk through the history of the council itself. It all started after the events of the Second World War, after the deaths of millions have been recorded and the empires of Europe had collapsed and new countries were constantly on the rise with existing ones seeking their independence. Several forms of ideologies also began to spring up especially the presence of political ideas like communism that soon began to cause divide amongst nations who loved what it meant and those who simply couldn’t stand it. This divide and it’s rising issues caused the need to prevent any form of escalations in the future and so nations who won World War Two decided to set up a council, one that would contain international or global superpowers (great nations), that would come together in defense of international peace and oversee the security of nations. 

Of course, at the time, the famous “League of Nations” had already been created but they wanted something different as the world was facing a lot of divide that they believed could escalate into another gruesome war. They devised a plan and concluded in the original plan to add just four members; The United States, the United Kingdom, Soviet Russia, and the Republic of China. These nations seemed like the best choices at the time until the USSR began to express its concerns. It claimed at the time that the nations involved are mostly allies of the United States of America, a nation that it was at loggerheads with constantly because of their differences in political ideas. So it asked that at least one neutral member must be present in the council. Initially, they wanted to add Brazil as the fifth member but this was rejected on the basis that Brazil was too aligned to the West, as well as the fact that Brazil didn’t want to join anyway.

On the other hand, the USSR wasn’t the only nation in the council that was having issues with the nations involved. The UK also had its concerns, stating that it was the only member from Western Europe, which seems like a logical reason to be doubtful since it would mean that they would always be the ones to settle the bills to protect their entire continent which might lead to them going bankrupt. France on the hand lost its ability to even join or be considered due to the ease at which the Germans occupied it during the war. It was believed that it was too weak to be in charge of the security of the world if it was too weak to protect its borders. However, the US was forced to consider France due to the complaints UK had. UK suggested that France be reinstated as a major power and as such be admitted into the UNSC. Thankfully, the involvement of France calmed the USSR too, since it believed at the time that France was the only European country that wasn’t exactly aligned to the US. And so, the United Nations Security Council of five permanent nations was born. 

Though great changes have been said to occur in the council. One was when China was kicked out until it sorted out it’s civil war issues and another was when the USSR dissolved and Russia took its place. It is obvious to see why there are five nations as permanent members, since these powers are regarded as superpowers and their ability to provide security for their borders is top notch. One of the criteria seems to be that a nation must be a security giant and the nations that serve as five permanent members are just that. 

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