Albania, Brazil, Gabon, Ghana and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were elected by the 75th session of the General Assembly on Friday to serve as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council for the 2022-2023 term.
According to the final tally, Ghana received 185 votes, Gabon 183, UAE 179, Albania 175 and Brazil 181 votes.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) garnered three votes while Peru and Iran each collected one.
The Security Council is a body of 15 members, five of which are permanent and have veto power: the United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia and China.
The newly elected five will join India, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico and Norway, the other non-permanent members.
Prior to its successful bid, the UAE issued a statement promising to be “a constructive partner” in addressing some of the “critical challenges of our time”, including promoting gender equality, countering terrorism and extremism and “harnessing the potential of innovation for peace”.
Vacating their seats were Viet Nam, for the Group of Asia and the Pacific Small Island Developing States known as the Asia-Pacific Group; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, for the Latin American and Caribbean Group, called GRULAC; Estonia, for the Eastern European Group; and Niger and Tunisia as part of the African Group.
The candidates ran mostly unopposed within their regions, except for Gabon and Ghana, which were challenged by the DRC for the two available seats in the African Group.
The five new members elected this year will begin their terms on 1 January 2022 and serve until 31 December 2023.
While Albania is the only State that has never served previously, Brazil has sat on the Council ten times, Gabon and Ghana three times each and UAE once.
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