Kyrgyzstan among 5 countries elected to UNSC for 2027-28 term

New York (Web Desk): The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Wednesday elected Kyrgyzstan, Austria, Portugal, Trinidad and Tobago, and Zimbabwe to the 15-member UN Security Council for two-year terms starting on January 1, 2027.

Kyrgyzstan made history by earning a place on the Council for the first time since joining the United Nations.

The race for the Asia-Pacific seat proved highly competitive, with Kyrgyzstan and the Philippines facing off in four rounds of voting before a clear winner emerged.

Kyrgyzstan ultimately gained the required two-thirds majority, collecting 142 votes compared to the Philippines’ 49. It will assume the seat currently occupied by Pakistan, whose tenure on the Council is scheduled to conclude in December 2026.

In the contest for two seats allocated to the Western European and Others Group, Portugal and Austria emerged victorious with 134 and 131 votes respectively. Germany, despite mounting an intensive campaign for election, finished behind both candidates with 104 votes and failed to secure a place.

The Security Council is composed of 15 members, including five permanent nations with veto authority: the United Kingdom, China, France, Russia, and the United States. The remaining ten seats are held by elected members who serve fixed terms, with five new countries joining the body each year.

Under this year’s regional distribution, one seat was assigned to the Africa Group, one to the Asia-Pacific Group, one to the Latin American and Caribbean Group, and two to the Western European and Others Group.

As part of the rotation, Zimbabwe will succeed Somalia, while Trinidad and Tobago will take over from Panama. Portugal and Austria are set to replace Denmark and Greece when the new term begins.

Meanwhile, Bahrain, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Latvia, and Liberia will continue serving as non-permanent members of the Security Council until the end of 2027.