World organisations · Updated September 2026
UN Security Council
UN Security Council: 15 members — five permanent (US, UK, France, Russia, China) with veto power, plus ten elected for two years.
The Security Council is the UN organ that can authorise sanctions and peace operations. It has 15 seats: five permanent members (the P5) and ten elected members who serve two-year terms.
The P5 are China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States. Any one of them can veto a substantive resolution. That is why action on some wars stalls even when a majority wants a text.
Elected seats rotate by regional groups. A country can sit on the Council without being a great power — that is how smaller states get a two-year voice. Reform talks (adding India, Brazil, Africa or Germany) have not changed the P5 rule as of 2026.
UN Security Council — key facts (2026)
| Topic | Fact |
|---|---|
| Total seats | 15 |
| Permanent members (P5) | China, France, Russia, UK, USA |
| Elected members | 10, two-year terms |
| Veto | Any P5 can block a substantive resolution |
| Chapter VII | The part of the Charter used for sanctions and force authorisations |
| HQ meetings | UN Headquarters, New York |
| Reform status (2026) | Still debated; P5 unchanged |
| Not the same as | the International Court of Justice or the General Assembly |
Figures are the usual classroom and news-desk numbers for 2026. Border disputes and membership votes can change a count by one or two.
People also ask
Which countries have a UN veto?
The five permanent members: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Can the General Assembly override a veto?
Not with the same legal force. The “Uniting for Peace” route is rare and political. In daily news, a P5 veto stands.
Is India a permanent member?
No. India has served as an elected member and campaigns for a permanent seat. It did not hold a P5 seat in 2026.