Germany on Wednesday failed to secure a seat on the UN Security Council for the first time, with Portugal and Austria winning more votes for the two Western European seats available from 2027.
The UN Security Council has 15 members, five permanent – the United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom – and 10 elected for staggered two-year periods, the seats allotted for different world regions.
The General Assembly, voting by secret ballot, elected Portugal and Austria to the European seats, with 134 and 131 votes, respectively. Germany, which has previously served six terms, got 104.
Germany is a member of the G7, Europe’s biggest economy and seen as the continent’s political and security anchor. Zimbabwe was the only contender for an African member and was elected with 182 votes. Trinidad and Tobago, which similarly faced no opposition, won the seat for the Latin American and Caribbean group with 181 votes.
A second round to select between the Philippines and Kyrgyzstan for the Asia seat was under way on Wednesday. The five elected countries will replace Pakistan, Somalia, Greece, Denmark and Panama, commencing 1 January 2027.
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