The United Nations General Assembly has elected two African countries among five new non-permanent members to the UN Security Council for two-year terms beginning January 1, 2026.
- The UN General Assembly elected five new non-permanent members to the UN Security Council for terms starting January 1, 2026.
- Two African countries, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Liberia, secured seats, boosting African representation.
- Africa’s ongoing call for a permanent seat on the Security Council highlights a need for reform and greater inclusivity within the UN system.
The two African nations, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Liberia secured seats on the UN security council, marking a significant step forward for the continent in terms of representation and influence within one of the UN’s most powerful bodies.
The other three countries elected were Bahrain (Asia-Pacific Group), Colombia (Latin American and Caribbean Group), and Latvia (Eastern European Group), with Latvia joining the Council for the first time in its history.
These incoming members will serve alongside the five non-permanent members elected in 2024, Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama, and Somalia, whose terms continue through 2026.
They will replace Algeria, Guyana, the Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone, and Slovenia, whose terms conclude at the end of December 2025.
UN Security Council membership process
The UN Security Council’s non-permanent seats are allocated based on regional groupings.
In the recent election, 188 Member States participated, filling five seats: two for Africa, one for Asia-Pacific, one for Eastern Europe, and one for Latin America and the Caribbean.
The results were decisive, with Bahrain, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Liberia receiving 186, 183, and 181 votes, respectively. Notably, one country abstained from voting.
The DRC’s election marks its third term on the Council, following previous terms in 1982-1983 and 1990-1991. Liberia returns to the Council for the first time since 1961.
With this election, Africa’s commitment to global peace and security has been reaffirmed, providing both countries with the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to critical international decision-making.
While this is good news, Africa’s quest for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council has, over time, been consistently overlooked.
Despite repeated calls for reform and greater inclusivity within the UN system, the continent, home to 54 member states and more than 1.4 billion people, remains without permanent representation on the Council.
As it stands, no African country holds a permanent seat with veto power, a privilege reserved for the five current permanent members: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
This imbalance has long been criticized as a structural legacy of the post-World War II geopolitical order that fails to reflect the modern realities of global power and population distribution.
