In a secret ballot held on Thursday, Greece, Denmark, Pakistan, Panama, and Somalia are set to secure seats on the U.N. Security Council, as voted by the General Assembly.
The 193-member body is scheduled to elect five countries to serve two-year terms on the council, filling the 10 non-permanent seats allocated to regional groups.
Unlike previous years, this election saw no surprises or contention over candidates. Last year, the election was marked by Slovenia’s decisive victory over Belarus for the East European regional seat, reflecting widespread opposition to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
This year, the regional groups nominated Somalia for the African seat, Pakistan for the Asia-Pacific seat, Panama for the Latin America and Caribbean seat, and Denmark and Greece for the two primarily Western seats.
The newly elected council members will begin their terms on January 1, 2024, replacing Mozambique, Japan, Ecuador, Malta, and Switzerland, whose terms conclude on December 31. They will join the five permanent, veto-wielding members—the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, and France—as well as the five non-permanent members elected last year: Algeria, Guyana, South Korea, Sierra Leone, and Slovenia.
The Security Council, responsible for maintaining international peace and security, has faced challenges in taking action due to the veto power of its permanent members. This has notably impacted its ability to address the Ukraine conflict and the hostilities in Gaza.
All five countries expected to secure seats on Thursday have prior experience on the Security Council: Pakistan seven times, Panama five times, Denmark four times, Greece twice, and Somalia once.
While there is a consensus on the need to expand the Security Council to better reflect the contemporary world, disagreements over the specifics of such reform have stalled any significant changes for four decades. The challenge remains in reconciling the diverse national interests of the 193 U.N. member states.
Read more: UN Security Council
(Source: AP)