Britannica
Sources used in this answer
How are United Nations Security Council seats divided among geographic regions?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council meeting in 2014.
The United Nations Security Council consists of 15 members: five permanent members and 10 nonpermanent members. While the permanent members hold their seats indefinitely, the 10 nonpermanent members are elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms, with the goal of achieving equitable geographic representation.12
The seats for nonpermanent members are distributed among the following regional groups:
- Africa and Asia: 5 members12
- Eastern Europe: 1 member12
- Latin America: 2 members12
- Western Europe and other areas: 2 members12
Each year, five of these nonpermanent members are elected to the council, while five retire, ensuring a rotating membership structure.12