Austria and Portugal Elected to UN Security Council Seats
The United Nations General Assembly elected Austria, Portugal, Kyrgyzstan, Trinidad and Tobago, and Zimbabwe to two-year terms on the 15-member Security Council. Germany received fewer votes than Austria and Portugal in the Western European group contest.
The United Nations General Assembly elected Austria, Portugal, Kyrgyzstan, Trinidad and Tobago, and Zimbabwe to two-year terms on the 15-member Security Council. Austria received 131 votes and Portugal received 134 votes in the contest for the two seats allocated to the group of mainly Western nations. Germany, which had served six previous terms, received 104 votes.
Other election results Kyrgyzstan defeated the Philippines 143-49 after four rounds of voting and will join the council for the first time. Zimbabwe and Trinidad and Tobago ran unopposed and each received more than 180 votes. The five new members will replace Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama, and Somalia and take their seats on January 1, 2027.
Council mandate and reform efforts The Security Council is mandated under the UN Charter to maintain international peace and security. It has five permanent members with veto power: the United States, Russia, China, Britain, and France. Decades of efforts to reform the council's structure have not succeeded, though a new reform process is underway.
