New Delhi, June 18: India was elected as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), bringing the nation into an elite group of 10 nations who can influence the decision-making of the top UN body. The membership last for two years as countries across the world are assigned the non-permanent spot in the Council on a rotational basis of two years. India Elected to UNSC Seat For 8th Time: Here's the List of Years in Which India Bagged the United Nations Security Council Seat.

There are five nations, however, which cannot be removed from the Council without their consent. Also referred to as P5, these countries have never vacated their permanent membership since the enactment of UN Charter in 1945.

List of Countries That Are Permanent UNSC Members

  • United States of America

  • United Kingdom

  • China

  • Russia

  • France

These five countries were allies in the second world war and ended up emerging victorious against the coalition that was led by Nazi Germany. The permanent members hold veto power, which allows them to stall any substantive action proposed by the UN Security Council.

India, Japan, Germany and Brazil have been vying for the security council spot for the past several years. Any of the countries could only be included after amending the UN Charter.

"Our presence on the Security Council and our performance there over the next two years will underscore the value that a country like India brings to the table and reaffirm our credentials to be a permanent member of UNSC," said Vikas Swarup, Secretary (West), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 18, 2020 06:15 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).