DRC and Liberia Elected as Non-Permanent Members of UN Security Council

The DRC and Liberia have been elected as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council, effective January 2026. They exceeded the required votes, with DRC receiving 183 and Liberia 181. They will take over roles from Mozambique and Sierra Leone. Other newly elected members include Colombia, Latvia, and Bahrain. Former German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock was elected as President of the General Assembly for its 80th session.

Two African nations, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Liberia, have officially been voted in as non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. This key decision came during a voting session at the UN General Assembly held on Tuesday. Both countries will assume their roles starting in January 2026 and will serve a two-year term on the Council, which is widely recognized as the principal authority for global peace and security.

In the voting outcome, the DRC secured 183 votes out of 194, while Liberia received 181 votes, both exceeding the necessary two-thirds majority, despite Liberia running unopposed. With this election, they are set to represent the African continent on the Council, commonly referred to as the A3 group, succeeding Mozambique and Sierra Leone, whose terms will end in December 2025.

Other nations also elected include Colombia, which received 180 votes, Latvia with 178, and Bahrain garnering 186 votes. These four will join the DRC and Liberia in replacing Algeria, Sierra Leone, South Korea, Guyana, and Slovenia on the influential 15-member body. The UN Security Council holds the exclusive capability to enact legally binding resolutions, which can entail sanctions or military action authorization.

The Council is composed of five permanent members— the United Kingdom, China, France, Russia, and the United States—each possessing veto power, alongside ten non-permanent members elected for staggered two-year periods. To ensure representation from various regions, the seats are allocated among geographical blocs, and candidates must still achieve a two-thirds majority, regardless of whether the election was contested.

Additionally, the General Assembly elected former German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock as President for its 80th session set to begin in September. Baerbock’s election highlights an ongoing shift toward diverse leadership within the assembly.

In summary, the DRC and Liberia’s election to the UN Security Council signifies an important moment for African representation in global politics. With their terms beginning in January 2026 and running for two years, they will replace other countries and contribute to the pressing discussions on international peace and security. Overall, this decision reflects a broader trend of increasingly diverse leadership within the United Nations.

Original Source: eastleighvoice.co.ke