The United Nations General Assembly has elected five new non-permanent members to its powerful Security Council. These nations – Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama, and Somalia – will begin their two-year terms on January 1st, 2025.
They replace outgoing members Ecuador, Japan, Malta, Mozambique, and Switzerland, whose terms expire at the end of this year. The Security Council is responsible for maintaining international peace and security, and its decisions are binding on all UN member states.
The new members were chosen through a secret ballot in the 193-member General Assembly, securing the necessary two-thirds majority vote. They join existing non-permanent members Algeria, Guyana, South Korea, Sierra Leone, and Slovenia.
The Security Council has 15 total members, with five permanent members (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) wielding veto power. The remaining 10 seats are filled by non-permanent members who serve two-year terms and are chosen based on regional representation.
This year, elections were held for seats in the African and Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Western European and other States groups. The newly elected members were all endorsed by their respective regions and faced little to no competition.
With a high turnout of 190 member states participating, the election process only required a single round of voting. Pakistan and Somalia secured strong victories in the African and Asia-Pacific group, while Panama dominated the Latin American and Caribbean race. In the Western European and other States group, Denmark and Greece emerged victorious.
