How many members does the Security Council have?

How many members does the Security Council have?

• A. Twelve, with two permanent members per region
• B. Ten, all non-permanent
• C. Fifteen, consisting of five permanent and ten temporary members
• D. Twenty, with a rotating chair

Answer: (C)

The UN Security Council is made up of fifteen members, a mix of a stable core and rotating seats. Five are permanent and have veto power, representing the major powers at the time the United Nations was founded. The other ten are non-permanent and are elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly, with seats allocated to regional groups and refreshed on a rotating basis. This structure gives the council both consistent leadership on key decisions and ongoing opportunity for broader regional representation. That’s why the correct total is fifteen: five permanent plus ten rotating. The other numbers don’t fit the actual composition.

The UN Security Council is made up of fifteen members, a mix of a stable core and rotating seats. Five are permanent and have veto power, representing the major powers at the time the United Nations was founded. The other ten are non-permanent and are elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly, with seats allocated to regional groups and refreshed on a rotating basis. This structure gives the council both consistent leadership on key decisions and ongoing opportunity for broader regional representation. That’s why the correct total is fifteen: five permanent plus ten rotating. The other numbers don’t fit the actual composition.