Which one of the following is not a permanent member of the UN Security Council?

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) consists of 15 member states, including five permanent members (P5) and ten non-permanent members elected for two-year terms [4]. According to the UN Charter, the five permanent members are China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States [3]. These members hold the unique privilege of permanency and the right to veto any non-procedural resolution [4]. Japan is not a permanent member; it is frequently elected as a non-permanent member, as seen in its term beginning in January 2023 [2]. While there are ongoing discussions and proposals for UNSC reform that suggest adding new permanent members like Japan, India, Germany, and Brazil to improve global representation, no such expansion of the permanent category has occurred since the UN's inception [1]. Therefore, Japan remains a non-permanent member.

Sources

1. [1] Contemporary World Politics, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 4: International Organisations > Chapter 4 International Organisations > p. 50
2. [4] Contemporary World Politics, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 4: International Organisations > Ideas for the Teacher > p. 54
3. [3] https://research.un.org/en/unmembers/scmembers
4. [2] https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/06/1120052