This is the election scene for the United Nations Security Council non-permanent members at the UN Headquarters in New York on June 3. Photo taken by Xinhua (UN Photo/Ethiopedia Debeb)
Xinhua, United Nations, June 3 (Reporter Shang Xiqian) On June 3, the UN General Assembly elected Austria, Kyrgyzstan, Portugal, Trinidad and Tobago, and Zimbabwe as non-permanent members of the Security Council. Among them, Kyrgyzstan was elected for the first time.
In the first round of voting, Austria, Portugal, Trinidad and Tobago, and Zimbabwe were smoothly elected. After three more rounds of voting, Kyrgyzstan defeated the Philippines to win the seat. Germany failed to be elected in the first round.
The non-permanent members of the Security Council are elected by the General Assembly through secret ballot, with candidates needing at least two-thirds of the total votes to be elected.
The newly elected five non-permanent members will replace Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama, and Somalia, and their terms will be two years, starting from January 1, 2027.
The UN Security Council has a total of 15 members. China, France, Russia, the UK, and the US are permanent members. Ten non-permanent members are elected annually, with five replaced each year; no country can serve consecutive terms. Seats are allocated by region: three for Africa; two each for Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Western Europe and other regions; and one for Eastern Europe.
The Security Council is responsible for maintaining international peace and security and is one of the main organs of the United Nations.
