The United Nations General Assembly elected five countries to join the UN Security Council on Tuesday. Their two-year term will begin on January 1, 2026. The new members are Bahrain, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Latvia, and Liberia.

All five countries ran unopposed. However, they still needed to win more than two-thirds of the General Assembly votes, which they successfully did. Consequently, these countries will replace Algeria, Sierra Leone, South Korea, Guyana, and Slovenia.

Security Council Structure

The UN Security Council is the most powerful body of the United Nations. It has 15 members in total. Among them, five are permanent members: Britain, China, France, Russia, and the United States. These permanent members hold veto power. The remaining ten seats rotate every two years among elected members. To maintain balance, seats are allocated by regional groups.

Even though some candidates run unopposed within their groups, they still must secure over two-thirds of the General Assembly vote. This rule ensures widespread support.

Voting Results

In the vote, Bahrain received 186 votes. Meanwhile, the DRC secured 183 votes. Liberia gained 181 votes. Colombia earned 180 votes. Lastly, Latvia got 178 votes.

New President of General Assembly

Earlier on Monday, the General Assembly elected Annalena Baerbock as its new president. She is the former German foreign minister. She will lead the 193-member body during its 80th session, which begins in September.