UN GA elects five non‑permanent Security Council members

The United Nations General Assembly elected five new non-permanent members to the Security Council on Wednesday, with Austria, Kyrgyzstan, Portugal, Trinidad and Tobago, and Zimbabwe winning seats for a two-year term beginning in January 2027. The results included a significant defeat for Germany, which failed to secure a seat for the first time in its history.

The elections, conducted by secret ballot at UN headquarters in New York, determined the composition of the council’s ten rotating seats. Portugal received 134 votes and Austria 131 to claim the two seats allocated to the Western European and Others Group. Germany, which has served six previous terms on the council, placed third with 104 votes. In the Asia-Pacific group, Kyrgyzstan defeated the Philippines after four rounds of voting, securing 142 votes to 49. Zimbabwe was elected from the African group with 182 votes, and Trinidad and Tobago won the Latin American and Caribbean seat with 181 votes. All candidates required a two-thirds majority of member states present and voting.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul described the outcome as a bitter defeat and a disappointment. He suggested several factors may have...