5 non-permanent members of UN Security Council elected
The United Nations has elected five non-permanent Security Council members, whose two-year terms start in January of next year.
The Security Council has five permanent members, including the United States, and 10 non-permanent members representing geographic regions. The non-permanent members serve two years, with half of them replaced each year.
On Tuesday, the General Assembly voted for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Latvia, Colombia and Bahrain to serve as non-permanent members on the council.
Latvia will be serving on the council for the first time. A neighbor of Russia, the country has consistently supported Ukraine since the Russian invasion in 2022.
Bahrain and Colombia abstained, and the DRC did not vote, on a draft General Assembly resolution last February that called for the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.
Bahrain is one of the few Arab countries that have diplomatic ties with Israel. But it has strongly criticized Israel along with other Arab countries over its operation in Gaza.
Colombia and the DRC are expected to contribute to the council's debates on UN peacekeeping operations based on their experiences. Colombia hosted a UN mission to disarm a now-defunct guerrilla group. A massive UN mission is still underway in the DRC.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Japan Times
5 days ago
- Japan Times
Germany's Merz lets Trump do the talking and survives Oval Office meeting
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz successfully navigated a 40-minute meeting with Donald Trump in the Oval Office without falling victim to the public humiliation the American president has doled out to other leaders — even though both Germany and Europe are two of Trump's perpetual irritants. Merz heeded the advice from a number of European leaders that he should let Trump do most of the talking, and when he did talk, to praise the president. Merz faded into the background for much of the meeting, breaking his silence to say that Germany owes "the Americans a lot.' Merz's meeting with Trump was a high-risk move to try to lobby the president on several existential issues for the European Union: the brewing transatlantic trade conflict, the continent's security architecture and the upcoming NATO summit and how to continue support for Ukraine.
Japan Times
6 days ago
- Japan Times
Anger as U.S. blocks Gaza ceasefire resolution at U.N. Security Council
U.N. Security Council members criticized the United States Wednesday after it vetoed a resolution calling for a ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access in Gaza, which Washington said undermined ongoing diplomacy. It was the 15-member body's first vote on the situation since November, when the United States — a key Israeli ally — also blocked a text calling for an end to fighting. "Today, the United States sent a strong message by vetoing a counterproductive U.N. Security Council resolution on Gaza targeting Israel," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement after Wednesday's 14 to 1 vote. He said Washington would not support any text that "draws a false equivalence between Israel and Hamas, or disregards Israel's right to defend itself. "The United States will continue to stand with Israel at the U.N." The draft resolution had demanded "an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza respected by all parties." It also called for the "immediate, dignified and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups," and demanded the lifting of all restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza. Hamas, whose unprecedented attack inside Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 sparked the war, condemned the "disgraceful" U.S. veto, reiterating accusations of "genocide" in Gaza, something Israel vehemently rejects. The veto "marks a new stain on the ethical record of the United States of America," the group said in a statement, accusing Washington of "legitimizing genocide, supporting aggression, and rationalizing starvation, destruction, and mass killings." 'Moral stain' Pakistan's ambassador to the U.N. Asim Ahmad meanwhile said the failed resolution would "remain not only a moral stain on the conscience of this council, but a fateful moment of political application that will reverberate for generations." China's ambassador to the U.N. Fu Cong said: "today's vote result once again exposes that the root cause of the council's inability to quell the conflict in Gaza is the repeated obstruction by the U.S." The veto marks Washington's first such action since U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January. Israel has faced mounting international pressure to end its war in Gaza. That scrutiny has increased over flailing aid distribution in Gaza, which Israel blocked for more than two months before allowing a small number of U.N. vehicles to enter in mid-May. The United Nations, which warned last month the entire population in the besieged Palestinian territory was at risk of famine, said trickle was far from enough to meet the humanitarian needs. 'Judged by history' "The Council was prevented from shouldering its responsibility, despite the fact that most of us seem to be converging on one view," said France's ambassador to the U.N. Jerome Bonnafont. Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian ambassador to the U.N., said after the Security Council vote he would now ask the General Assembly to pass a resolution calling for a ceasefire. Israel's ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon however said that the Palestinian plan to put the resolution to a vote at the General Assembly, where no country can veto it, was pointless, telling countries "don't waste more of your energy." "This resolution doesn't advance humanitarian relief and undermines it. It ignores a working system in favor of political agendas," he said. "The United Nations must return to its original purpose-promoting peace and security-and stop these performative actions," Rubio said.
NHK
6 days ago
- NHK
US vetoes UN Security Council resolution on Gaza ceasefire and humanitarian aid
The United States has vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that calls for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid in the territory. Ten nonpermanent members of the Security Council submitted the draft resolution on Wednesday. It called for a permanent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the release of all the remaining hostages and the resumption of full-scale deliveries of humanitarian aid. Slovenia's UN Ambassador Samuel Zbogar is the coordinator for the Council's ten elected members. He said the Council must act urgently and decisively to address the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Acting US Ambassador to the UN Dorothy Shea pushed back by saying that the resolution would undermine diplomatic efforts aimed at reaching a ceasefire and unjustly reward Hamas. Fourteen of the 15 members of the Security Council voted in favor of the resolution. It was the first time that the US used its veto power since President Donald Trump took office. Many of the countries condemned the US for voting against the resolution. They said the US move will endanger the lives of over 2 million starving Palestinians. The Security Council has been facing growing criticism, as it has failed to come up with effective measures to deal with the prolonged conflict.
