How many permanent member countries are there in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), which is responsible for maintaining international peace and security?

Introduction / Context:
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the most powerful organs of the UN, charged with maintaining international peace and security. It is composed of a small group of permanent members with special veto powers and a larger group of non permanent members. This question checks whether candidates remember the exact number of permanent members.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The institution is the United Nations Security Council.
• The focus is on permanent members, not total membership.
• Options offered are 5, 15, 10 and 25.
• We assume the standard structure of the UNSC as defined by the UN Charter.

Concept / Approach:
The UNSC currently has 15 members in total: 5 permanent and 10 non permanent. The five permanent members are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. They hold veto power over substantive resolutions. Candidates must distinguish between total membership (15) and permanent membership (5), because both numbers are often asked and can easily be mixed up.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the total number of seats on the Security Council is 15.Step 2: Remember that out of these, 5 are permanent members with veto power and 10 are elected as non permanent members for two year terms.Step 3: List the permanent members mentally: China, France, Russia, United Kingdom and United States.Step 4: Confirm that this list contains five countries, which fixes the correct number of permanent members.Step 5: Choose option “5” as the answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
An alternative way to verify is to recall typical exam statements: “UNSC has 5 permanent and 10 non permanent members.” These are frequently paired as a fact. Because 15 is used for total membership, one can check that the only way to split 15 into the well known structure is 5 permanent plus 10 non permanent, validating that 5 is the correct count of permanent members.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
15: This is the total number of members on the Security Council, not the number of permanent members.

10: This is the number of non permanent members that are elected for fixed terms, not the number of permanent members.

25: This number does not match any standard composition figure for the Security Council.

Common Pitfalls:
The most common error is confusing total membership with permanent membership and selecting 15 instead of 5. Some candidates also mix up the 10 non permanent seats with the permanent seats. A reliable strategy is always to remember the phrase “P5”, which is a common shorthand for the five permanent members, making it easy to recall the correct number.

Final Answer:
The United Nations Security Council has 5 permanent members.