UN General Assembly elects five new members to the Security Council
Published: Thursday, Jun 6th 2024, 19:10
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The United Nations General Assembly has elected Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama and Somalia as new non-permanent members of the 15-member UN Security Council. The five countries will sit on the most powerful UN body from January 2025 until the end of 2026. They were all elected without competition. In exchange for the new members, Ecuador, Japan, Malta, Mozambique and Switzerland will leave the Council at the end of December.
The Security Council is the most powerful UN body and has the power to pass resolutions that are binding under international law, such as arms embargoes or sanctions. However, there is a two-tier system in the body: the permanent members USA, China, Russia, France and the UK have the power of veto. This means that every decision can be blocked, which often leads to gridlock in the Council. The ten temporary members, each elected for two years, have far less influence.
Algeria, Guyana, South Korea, Sierra Leone and Slovenia are also currently on the Security Council. Germany has sat on the Security Council five times so far, most recently in 2019/2020, and is aiming to reapply for 2027/2028.
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