UN General Assembly Elects Five Nations as Non-Permanent Members of UNSC for 2026–2027 Term.
International
In June 2025, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) elected five new countries—Bahrain, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Latvia, and Liberia—as non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). These countries will serve for a two-year term from 1st January 2026 to 31st December 2027.
- The newly elected members will replace Algeria, Guyana, Sierra Leone, South Korea, and Slovenia, whose terms conclude on 31st December 2025. This periodic rotation is vital for inclusive global representation and for bringing fresh national perspectives to the UNSC’s decision-making process.
- Reflecting the UN’s principle of geographic balance, the five seats were distributed as follows: two for Africa, one for Asia-Pacific, one for Latin America and the Caribbean, and one for Eastern Europe. The elected countries received overwhelming support in the secret ballot vote: Bahrain (186 votes), DRC (183), Liberia (181), Colombia (180), and Latvia (178), out of 188 voting UN Member States.
- The five countries will join Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama, and Somalia, who were elected in 2024 and will serve on the Council through 2026. Latvia, joining for the first time, emphasized its commitment to multilateralism, with focus on global peace and security, especially in regions like Ukraine, the Middle East, and Africa.
Main Point :- (i) India has held a non-permanent seat on the UNSC eight times, most recently during the 2021–2022 term. India has also officially put forward its candidature for the 2028–2029 term, reflecting its long-standing engagement with global security and governance.
(ii) The UNSC is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations, primarily responsible for maintaining international peace and security. It plays a critical role in authorizing peacekeeping missions, imposing sanctions, and approving new member admissions to the UN.
(iii) The UNSC consists of 15 members: 5 permanent members with veto power—China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States—and 10 non-permanent members elected for staggered two-year terms. Annual elections are conducted by the UNGA, where candidates must secure a two-thirds majority (at least 128 votes) out of 193 to be elected, even if uncontested.
About the United Nations Security Council (UNSC)
Presidency : Guyana
Headquarters : New York
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