Syllabus

GS 2: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

Context: Recently, the United Nations General Assembly elected five countries to the 15-member United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for two-year terms (2026-2027).

More on the News

• Bahrain, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Latvia and Liberia were elected to serve as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council.
• Their two-year term will begin in January 2026 and run through December 2027.
• These countries will replace Algeria, Guyana, the Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone and Slovenia, whose terms expire in December 2025.
  This is the first ever term of Latvia on the United Nations Security Council.
• The newly elected members will join the five non-permanent members elected in 2024:
  Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama and Somalia (serving until the end of 2026).

Vote Tally and Participation

• 188 UN Member States participated in the election, which was completed in one round of balloting.

United Nations Security Council

• The UN Security Council, established by the UN Charter, is a primary body responsible for maintaining international peace and security.
• The Security Council held its first session on 17 January 1946 at Church House, Westminster, London. 
• Since its first meeting, the Security Council has taken permanent residence at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.
• Under the United Nations Charter, the functions and powers of the Security Council are:
  to maintain international peace and security in accordance with the principles and purposes of the United Nations.
  to investigate any dispute or situation which might lead to international friction.
  to recommend methods of adjusting such disputes or the terms of settlement.
  to formulate plans for the establishment of a system to regulate armaments.
  to determine the existence of a threat to the peace or act of aggression and to recommend what action should be taken.
  to call on Members to apply economic sanctions and other measures not involving the use of force to prevent or stop aggression.
  to take military action against an aggressor.
  to recommend the admission of new Members.
  to exercise the trusteeship functions of the United Nations in "strategic areas";
  to recommend to the General Assembly the appointment of the Secretary-General and, together with the Assembly, to elect the Judges of the International Court of Justice. 

UNSC Composition

• The UN Security Council has 15 members:
  5 permanent members with veto power: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
  10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms by the UN General Assembly.
• For non-permanent members, Elections are held annually by secret ballot, requiring a two-thirds majority (128 out of 193 votes) for each successful candidate.
• Seats are allocated by regional groups to ensure fair geographic representation.
• The permanent members have the power to veto any substantive Security Council resolution. 

UPSC Mains Practice Question 

Q. What is the significance of the election of non-permanent members to the United Nations Security Council? Explain the regional representation system and voting process involved in such elections.