UN General Assembly Elects Five New Non-Permanent Security Council Members

Five Nations Elected to UN Security Council in Wednesday's General Assembly Vote

Portugal, Austria, Kyrgyzstan, Zimbabwe, and Trinidad and Tobago will join the Security Council in January.

Election Results

In a vote held at the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, five nations were selected to serve two-year terms as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council, beginning January 1. A two-thirds majority was required to win a seat.

The results by regional group were as follows:

• Western Europe and Others Group: Portugal received 134 votes, Austria received 131 votes, and Germany received 104 votes.
• Asia-Pacific Group: Kyrgyzstan won decisively with 143 votes against the Philippines' 49 votes. This will be Kyrgyzstan's first term on the Security Council.
• African Group: Zimbabwe, running unopposed, was elected with over 180 votes.
• Latin American and Caribbean Group: Trinidad and Tobago, running unopposed, was elected with over 180 votes.

The five new members will replace Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama, and Somalia.

Official Reactions

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul described the outcome as "a real disappointment." Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated: "We applied with conviction. We did not achieve our goal. This result does not alter the tasks we face at the United Nations. Germany remains a reliable pillar of the multilateral system."

Wadephul suggested that Germany's positions on the wars in Ukraine and Gaza may have influenced voting. He noted Germany's "rock-solid support for Ukraine" and its special responsibility towards Israel. He also cited Russian lobbying against Germany's bid as a potential factor. Jürgen Hardt, foreign policy spokesperson for the CDU/CSU, called the failure "regrettable." The Green party attributed the loss to insufficient government action on climate protection and cuts to development aid.

Austria's foreign ministry stated the election concluded a 15-year campaign and represents a strong international sign of confidence.

Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubayev acknowledged the turbulent times and promised cooperation with other council members.

Context

The UN Security Council has 15 members: five permanent members (United States, United Kingdom, China, Russia, France) with veto power, and ten temporary seats elected for two-year terms. Germany is the second-largest financial contributor to the UN. Germany last held a temporary seat on the Security Council in 2019–2020.