Five nations secured seats on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in Tuesday’s uncontested elections. The non-permanent members of the organisation include Bahrain, Republic of Congo, Liberia, Colombia and Latvia. The countries will begin serving their two-year terms in January 2026.
The five rotating seats on the 15-member UN Security Council were decided by a secret ballot of the 193-member General Assembly. Bahrain got 186 votes, Congo 183, Liberia 181, Colombia 180, and Latvia 178.
Latvia, which was forcefully made a part of the Soviet Union and gained its independence following its fall in 1991, will be making its debut on the UNSC.
Baiba Braže, foreign minister of Latvia said, “our historical experience puts us in the position to understand, empathise with, and forge partnerships across every region in the world. We know the value of freedom.
“We know the fragility of peace and the power of multilateralism to safeguard it.” she added speaking to reporters after the vote. The foreign minister of the Baltic nation told that her country was ready to take on the responsibility.
According to Braže, Latvia will do everything in its power to bring about a fair and sustainable peace in Ukraine as well as lessen sufferings in the Middle East, Gaza, Africa, and other conflict zones around the world.
Bahrain has been reelected to the Council for a second term.
Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, foreign minister of Bahrain said reaffirms its commitment to being “a proactive contributor” to global peace and security. The country will serve as the Arab representative on the Council.
“Our goal is to fortify peace and stability within our region,” he said adding that their focus was to resolve the decades-old Israel-Palestine conflict which is “the cornerstone for achieving peace in the region.”
A ceasefire and massive humanitarian aid inflow into Gaza, the release of all hostages taken from Israel on Oct 7, 2023, and progress toward a two-state solution and “a viable state of Palestine” are the immediate requirements, Al Zayani remarked.
Because of Russia’s veto power over Ukraine and the United States’ veto power over Gaza, the UNSC, which is tasked by the U.N. Charter with maintaining world peace and security, has failed in both key conflicts.
Reforming the UN Security Council to reflect the geopolitical realities of the world in 2025, rather than the post-World War II era eight decades ago, when the United Nations was founded, has taken decades. However, they have all failed.
The council still has 10 elected members from the various U.N. regional groups in addition to five permanent members with veto power: the United States, Russia, China, Britain, and France. The lack of a permanent seat for Africa or Latin America and the Caribbean is one of its main shortcomings.
Five new council members are chosen annually under the present rules. Algeria, Guyana, South Korea, Sierra Leone, and Slovenia will be replaced in January by the newly elected nations.
In addition to expressing confidence in Congo that will be serving a third term on the UNSC, Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, foreign minister of the country said, its reelection reflects “Africa’s unity and its rightful place in shaping the global peace and security agenda.”
She said Congo will bring to the Council the experience of handling decades of conflict, the difficulties of U.N. peacekeeping operations and protecting civilians, and “the convergence between conflict, natural resources, and environmental changes.”
Deweh Gray, the deputy foreign minister of Liberia, whose nation last served on the UNSC in 1961, stated that her country has “an unwavering resolve to make a difference for all” and to address the world’s most challenging issues, such as inequality, conflict, and climate change.
“Liberia’s vote is a vote for Africa, and we shall ensure that we follow the African common position,” she said.
Leonor Zalabata, Colombia’s ambassador to the UN, called on all nations to come together and continue working “in harmony with nature to preserve what we have and build peace in the world.” “We invite you all to keep working in the path of human rights,” she added.