NEW YORK 18 June 2020: The United Nations yesterday elected Norway, Ireland, India, and Mexico to take up coveted seats on the powerful Security Council in New York on Wednesday, German press agency, dpa and Wam reported.
Nations often run costly years-long campaigns to win a spot on the 15-member council, which is the only UN body that passes legally binding resolutions, such as imposing sanctions or authorising peacekeeping missions.
The council has five veto-wielding permanent members: Russia, the United States, France, Britain and China. Five countries are elected every year to take up the 10 remaining seats for two-year terms, which are distributed on a regional basis.
Ireland and Norway won two seats in the Western European with Canada losing, while Kenya and Djibouti were competing to represent Africa. The African seat is still to be voted on as neither Kenya nor Djibouti gained the required two-thirds majority for UN Security Council term.
India and Mexico ran unopposed for the Asia-Pacific and Latin America seats.
The election typically takes place in the UN General Assembly hall. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, each of the 193 UN member states will this year be given a time slot and designated venue to cast their secret ballot.
A candidate has to get a two-thirds majority of the vote to secure a spot on the council.
The five chosen countries are due to take up their seats at the UN’s top table in January.
The Security Council has recently been under fire for failing to respond to the global coronavirus crisis, marred by divisions among its permanent members.
