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Austria, Kyrgyzstan, Portugal, Trinidad and Tobago, and Zimbabwe have been elected to the 15-member council for two-year terms beginning January 1, 2027.
United Nations General Assembly Wednesday, June 3, selected Austria, Kyrgyzstan, Portugal, Trinidad and Tobago, and Zimbabwe on the 15-member United Nations Security Council for two-year terms beginning January 1, 2027.
Germany, which had prepared itself to run for the seat, took third place out of two places contested by the Western European Group and Others, with 104 votes, against 134 for Portugal and 131 for Austria.
Competition between the Philippines and Kyrgyzstan for the seat of the Asia-Pacific Group went to four rounds of voting, and Kyrgyzstan finally got two-thirds of the required majority and got its first ever Security Council seat by 142 votes to 49.
The Security Council is the only body of the United Nations that can make legally binding decisions such as imposing sanctions and authorizing the use of force. It has five permanent members with a veto: Great Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States.
The remaining 10 members are elected, and five new members join each year. This year, one is from the African Group, one from the Latin American and Caribbean Group, one from the Asia-Pacific Group, and two from the Western Europe and Others Group.
Zimbabwe will replace Somalia, and Trinidad and Tobago will replace Panama, while Portugal and Austria will replace Denmark and Greece. Kyrgyzstan will replace Pakistan.
Bahrain, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Latvia, and Liberia will remain non-permanent members of the Security Council until the end of 2027.
On Tuesday, June 2, the General Assembly elected Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman as the president of the 193-member body for its 81st session that will begin in September. – Rappler.com
