Japan Elected as UN Security Council Non-Permanent Member for First Time in 6 Years... Switzerland, Malta, and Others

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina] Japan has been elected as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the first time in six years.

On the 9th (local time), the UN General Assembly held a meeting at the UN Headquarters in New York and, through a vote, decided Japan (Asia-Pacific), Ecuador (Latin America), Mozambique (Africa), Switzerland, and Malta (Western Europe) as non-permanent members of the Security Council for a two-year term.

These countries will replace India, Mexico, Kenya, Ireland, and Norway, whose terms end at the end of the year. The new non-permanent members' terms will begin on January 1 of next year.

In the vote involving 193 member states, Mozambique received 192 votes, Ecuador 190 votes, Switzerland 187 votes, and Japan and Malta each received 184 votes.

The Security Council consists of five permanent members (the United States, the United Kingdom, France, China, and Russia) and ten non-permanent members who are replaced every two years. Elections for non-permanent members are held annually for five countries at a time.

This is the 12th time Japan has been elected as a non-permanent member of the Security Council. It is also Japan's re-entry into the Security Council after six years since its previous term ended in 2017. Mozambique and Switzerland were elected for the first time. Ecuador is serving its third term, and Malta its second.

South Korea has served as a non-permanent member twice so far and aims to be elected as a non-permanent member for the 2024-2025 term.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.