UN elects 5 nations to Security Council for 2026–2027 term

UN Photo/Manuel Elías – The UN General Assembly votes to elect five new non-permanent members to the Security Council for the 2026–2027 term.

Bahrain, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Latvia, and Liberia were elected on Tuesday to serve as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council for a two-year term starting January 2026.

They will serve through the end of 2027 on the Council, which is tasked with maintaining international peace and security.

These countries will join the five non-permanent members elected in 2023 – Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama, and Somalia – who will serve through 2026. The new members will replace Algeria, Guyana, the Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone, and Slovenia, whose terms end in December 2025.

The Security Council comprises 15 members: five permanent ones – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States – each with veto power, and ten non-permanent members elected by the General Assembly for staggered two-year terms.

Elections are held annually by secret ballot, with seats distributed among regional groups. A two-thirds majority in the 193-member General Assembly is required for election.

A total of 188 Member States participated in Tuesday’s vote, which concluded in a single round.

• Africa & Asia-Pacific: Bahrain won 186 votes, the DRC 183, and Liberia 181. One country abstained.

• Eastern Europe: Latvia received 178 votes; 10 countries abstained.

• Latin America & the Caribbean: Colombia secured 180 votes, with eight abstentions.

Latvia will be serving on the Council for the first time. All other newly elected members have previously held seats: Colombia seven times, the DRC twice, and Bahrain and Liberia once each.

The five available seats were distributed as follows: two for Africa, one for Asia-Pacific, one for Eastern Europe, and one for Latin America and the Caribbean.