5 new non-permanent members of UN Security Council take office

By Serife Cetin

NEW YORK (AA) – With the UN system under fire, the nations of Algeria, Guyana, South Korea, Sierra Leone, and Slovenia on Tuesday officially assumed their roles as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council to serve for two years.

A special ceremony, attended by the council's January term president France and the permanent representatives of the new member states, marked the occasion.

The new members are taking up seats vacated by Albania, Brazil, Gabon, Ghana, and the United Arab Emirates, whose two-year terms ended on Dec. 31.

Elected by the UN General Assembly in June, the new members will serve in their roles from Jan. 1, 2024, to Dec. 31, 2025.

The Security Council consists of 15 countries, including five permanent members: China, France, Russia, Britain, and the US.

The permanent members have the right to veto any resolution or decision. The remaining 10 seats are filled by non-permanent members, with five seats subject to renewal each year.

Geographical distribution determines the allocation of these seats, with two seats assigned to the African Group, one to the Asia-Pacific Group, one to the Latin American and Caribbean Group, and one to the Eastern European Group.

To secure a non-permanent seat on the Council, candidates must receive at least two-thirds of the votes in the UN General Assembly, equivalent to 129 votes out of the 193-member body.

The structure of the council has come under fire in recent years, as the five permanent members are unrepresentative of most of the world, as well as groups such as the Global South and Muslims.

The five permanent members’ veto power has also been criticized in the wake of Security Council votes for a cease-fire in the Gaza conflict being vetoed by one or more of the five.

*Servet Gunerigok contributed to the story