Election of UNSC Non-Permanent Members

The United Nations General Assembly elects ten non-permanent members of the Security Council to represent the wider UN membership alongside the five permanent members. They serve staggered two-year terms, so five seats are normally filled each year. Election requires a secret ballot and the prescribed two-thirds majority; regional endorsement alone does not secure a seat.

Charter basis and membership conditions

Under Article 23 of the UN Charter, the General Assembly elects non-permanent members while giving due regard to candidates' contribution to international peace and security and other UN purposes, and to equitable geographical distribution.

• A retiring non-permanent member is not eligible for immediate re-election, although it may contest again after an interval.
• Every Security Council member has one vote, but non-permanent members do not possess the veto available to the five permanent members.
• Non-permanent members participate fully in the Council's deliberations, voting and subsidiary bodies during their term.

Geographical distribution of seats

Under General Assembly Resolution 1991 A (XVIII), the ten non-permanent seats are distributed among regional groups to provide broad geographical representation. Regional groups commonly coordinate and endorse candidates, but the General Assembly must still elect them.

• Five seats are allocated to African and Asian States, conventionally divided into three African and two Asia-Pacific seats.
• Two seats are allocated to Latin American and Caribbean States, and two to Western European and Other States.
• One seat is allocated to Eastern European States.
• Because regional allocations and terms overlap, the five seats contested in a particular year come from specified regional groups.

Balloting and required majority

Election is conducted by secret ballot. Under Article 18 of the UN Charter, election of Security Council members is an important question requiring a two-thirds majority of members present and voting.

• Members that abstain are not counted as present and voting when the required majority is calculated.
• A candidate must obtain the two-thirds majority even when a regional group presents only as many candidates as there are vacancies.
• Where several candidates obtain the required majority, those receiving the largest numbers of votes fill the available seats.
• If one or more vacancies remain, the General Assembly conducts additional ballots until every seat is filled by a candidate securing the required majority.
• Thus, a regional endorsement or an uncontested slate facilitates candidature but never replaces election by the full General Assembly.