Bahrain, Latvia & 3 other countries join UN Security Council for 26-27

The United Nations General Assembly has elected Latvia, Bahrain, Colombia, Liberia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo as new non-permanent United Nations(UN) Security Council members for a two-year term.

The newly elected members term will start on 1st January 2026 and end on 31st December 2027. 

Latvia, a small East European country, has been elected to the Security Council for the first time.

The United Nations Security Council has 15 members. Five members -China, Russia, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America—are permanent members and have veto power.

The United Nations Security Council initially had 11 members, six of whom were non-permanent. In 1965, the number of non-permanent members increased to ten.

Who will they replace?

The newly elected members will replace Slovenia, South Korea, Guyana, Algeria, and Sierra Leone, whose terms end on 31st December 2025.

The newly elected countries -Latvia, Bahrain, Colombia, Liberia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo will join Pakistan, Denmark, Panama, Greece, and Somalia as the non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.

Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama, and Somalia's two-year term will end on 31st December 2026.

Election of Non-permanent UN Security Council 

Every year, elections are held to elect five non-permanent members of the Security Council.

The United Nations General Assembly elects them through a secret vote. To be elected, a candidate must secure at least a two-thirds majority in the 193-member General Assembly.

The United Nations member countries have been divided into four groups, and member countries stand for election from their group.

• African and Asian States- 5 seats 
• Eastern European States- 1 seat
• Latin American States- 2 seats 
• Western European and other States- 2 seats

About the United Nations 

The United Nations origin is traced to the United Nations Conference on International Organisation held in San Francisco, United States, from 25 April to 26 June 1945. 

Representatives of 50 countries, including India, participated in the San Francisco Conference.

The  San Francisco Conference led to the establishment of the United Nations on 24 October 1945.

The United Nations replaced the League of Nations, which was founded in 1920 after the end of the First World War.

The United Nations is the world’s largest intergovernmental organisation with 193 member countries.

Function 

• To maintain international peace and security, provide humanitarian assistance to those in need, protect human rights, and uphold international law. 

Organs of the United Nations 

According to the United Nations Charter, there are six main organs of the United Nations.

• General Assembly—The General Assembly is the main body of the United Nations, and all member countries are represented here.
• Security Council—Responsible for maintaining international peace and security. Five permanent members -China, Russia, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America—have veto power. Ten members are non-permanent and elected for 2 years.
• Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC): This body discusses and debates the World’s economic, social, and environmental challenges.
• Trusteeship Council - Provides supervision for 11 Trust Territories (colonies) and works for self-government or independence of the Territories.
• International Court of Justice (ICJ)- The Main Judicial organ of the United Nations that settles disputes between member countries and offers advice on legal matters.
• United Nations Secretariat—The Secretariat is the permanent bureaucracy of the United Nations, which carries out day-to-day administration and is headed by the Secretary General.

Secretary General - Antonio Guterres (Portugal)

Headquarters of the United Nations - New York, United States of America

Members - 193 countries.

Established -  24 October 1945.

Also Read: India Elected to UN ECOSOC for 2026–2028 Three-Year Term