The UN General Assembly elected Bahrain, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Latvia, and Liberia on Tuesday to serve as non-permanent members of the Security Council for the 2026-2027 term.
The Security Council, the United Nations’ key body for international peace and security, consists of 15 member countries: the permanent members are Britain, China, France, Russia, and the United States, each possessing veto power. Ten nations are elected for staggered two-year terms.
Members are chosen through a secret ballot, with positions distributed according to regional groupings. The five countries elected on Tuesday did not face any opposition.
Starting January 1, 2026, they will replace outgoing members Algeria, Guyana, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, and South Korea and join the existing five non-permanent members: Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama, and Somalia.
