Japan moved a step closer toward its goal of becoming a permanent United Nations Security Council member Thursday, as the so-called Group of Four nations -- Japan, Germany, India and Brazil -- submitted a resolution on the matter to the U.N. Secretariat. The following are some basic facts on the UNSC bid:
Why does Japan want to be a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council?
The five current permanent members -- the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China -- have been in place since the U.N. was established in 1945.