Diplomatic bloc
UN Security Council P5
Permanent Members of the United Nations Security Council
The five permanent members of the UN Security Council with veto power.
Members
5
Founded
1945
Headquarters
UN Headquarters, New York City
What is the UN Security Council P5?
The P5 are the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council — China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Unlike the Council's ten rotating members, they hold their seats permanently and can veto any substantive resolution. They were the principal victors of World War II and were granted this status under the 1945 UN Charter.
Key facts
- Full name
- Permanent Members of the United Nations Security Council
- Founded
- 1945 · Established by the UN Charter
- Headquarters
- UN Headquarters, New York City
- Member states
- 5
- Veto power
- Yes — one member can block any substantive resolution
- Council seats
- 5 permanent of 15 total
UN Security Council P5 member states
5 countriesWhy the P5 matters
The veto makes the P5 the most powerful bloc in the UN system: no resolution on sanctions, peacekeeping, or the use of force can pass over the objection of any one of them. In Model UN, the Security Council and its P5 veto dynamics are among the most demanding committees to simulate.
Related blocs & alliances
G7
7Industrialised democracies that coordinate global economic and security policy.
NATO
32North Atlantic Treaty Organization — 32-member transatlantic defensive alliance.
BRICS+
9Emerging-economy bloc; expanded in 2024 with new members from Africa and the Gulf.
G20
19Premier forum for international economic cooperation, ~85% of global GDP.
Frequently asked questions about the P5
Quick answers to the most common questions about the UN Security Council P5.
Which countries are the UN Security Council P5?
The five permanent members are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
What is the P5 veto?
Each permanent member can veto any substantive Security Council resolution. A single 'no' vote from one of the five blocks adoption, even if every other member votes in favour.
Why do these five countries have permanent seats?
They were the main victorious powers of World War II. The 1945 UN Charter granted them permanent membership and veto power to keep the great powers invested in the new organisation.
Can the P5 be reformed or expanded?
Reform is debated regularly — proposals would add seats for countries such as India, Brazil, Germany, Japan, or African states — but amending the Charter itself requires P5 consent, which has kept the core unchanged since 1945.
Research the P5 with Model Diplomat
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