04-06-2025
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.
