Five countries elected to UN Security Council seats

Five countries elected to UN Security Council seats

2010-10-13 04:07:02 GMT+7 (ICT)

UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) -- Colombia, Germany, India, Portugal and South Africa on Tuesday were elected to two-year terms to serve in the United Nations Security Council as of next January.

The five elected nations will replace Austria, Japan, Mexico, Turkey and Uganda, whose two-year terms will end at the end of the year. To be elected for a UN Security Council seat, candidates need a two-thirds majority of ballots on Member States of the 192-member Assembly.

The seats are allocated based on geographical groups. Colombia, India and South Africa ran unopposed and were elected to represent their respective regions, having received 186 votes, 187 votes and 182 votes, respectively, in the first round of balloting.

The two available seats for the Western European and Other States category were contested by Germany, Portugal and Canada. One seat was won by Germany with 128 votes in the first round. Canada and Portugal entered a second round of voting to determine the last seat but Canda withdrew allowing Portugal to be elected for the final seat.

The UN Security Council has five permanent members: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. The five newly elected members will join Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Gabon, Lebanon and Nigeria.

The UN Security Council has as primary responsibility to maintain international peace and security in accordance with the principles and purposes of the United Nations. A representative of each of its members must be present at all times at United Nations Headquarters.

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