The Security Council, the UN's main crisis-management body, has the authority to impose obligatory peacekeeping commitments on the 193 UN member nations.

 

Five permanent members and ten elected members of the Security Council convene on a regular basis to review threats to international security, such as civil wars, natural catastrophes, arms proliferation, and terrorism. The P5 refers to the five permanent members of the Security Council: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

 

The council's structure has largely remained constant since its inception in 1946, sparking debate among members about the need for revision. In recent years, the council's ability to respond to significant conflicts and crises, such as Syria's civil war, Russia's annexation of Crimea, and the coronavirus epidemic, has been hampered by members' competing interests.