Pakistan, Somalia, Panama, Denmark and Greece were elected to the United Nations Security Council
They will replace Ecuador, Japan, Malta, Mozambique and Switzerland, whose terms end on December 31.
In a secret ballot, the elected states secured a two-thirds majority of the required number of Member States present and voting in the 193-member General Assembly.
The new members will join current non-permanent members Algeria, Guyana, South Korea, Sierra Leone and Slovenia, whose terms begin on January 1. The Council’s five permanent members , each of which has veto power, are China, France, Russia, UK and US.
Under uncharted15 members Security Council has primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security, and all member states are obliged to comply with its decisions.
Regional group
The 10 non-permanent seats of the Security Council are distributed into four regional groups: Africa and Asia; Eastern Europe; Latin America and the Caribbean; and the group of Western European and other countries.
This year’s candidates are vying for five seats in three regional groups: two seats for Africa and Asia-Pacific (one each); one for Latin America and the Caribbean; and two for Western Europe and other countries.
The newly elected members were endorsed by their respective regional groups and were largely uncontroversial.
Counting votes
Overall, 190 member states participated in the election and only a single round of voting was needed.
In the Africa and Asia-Pacific group, Pakistan received 182 votes and Somalia received 179 votes, with five countries abstaining.
In the Latin America and Caribbean group, Panama received 183 votes and Argentina one vote, with 6 countries abstaining.
In the group of Western Europe and other countries, Denmark received 184 votes, Greece 182 votes, Italy and Norway each received one vote; two countries abstained.
