Question 13
MediumOriginal questionThe Security Council has fifteen members. How are they made up?
Show the answer and explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
Five members — China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States — hold permanent seats and the veto.
The other ten are elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms, with seats distributed by region.
A retiring non-permanent member is not immediately re-eligible, which is what keeps the seats circulating.
Worth noting
Two facts travel together here and are easy to swap: fifteen members in total, five of them permanent. The veto belongs to the five, not to the fifteen.
- Concept
- The composition of the Security Council
- Typical timeTypical
- 45 s
- Your timeYours
- —
Ten questions from World GK & International Bodies, at your own pace.