The UN General Assembly today elected Colombia, Germany, India, Portugal and South Africa to serve on the Security Council for two-year terms from 1 January 2011. They will replace Austria, Japan, Mexico, Turkey and Uganda.
Non-permanent seats on the Security Council are allocated by geographic groupings and candidates require a two-thirds majority vote in the 192-country Assembly. The five permanent members are: China, France, Russia, the United States and the UK.
Colombia, India and South Africa ran unopposed, while the two available 'Western European and Other States' places were contested by Germany, Portugal and Canada. Germany won one seat in the first round. Canada withdrew in the second round paving the way for Portugal.
The five countries elected today will join Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Gabon, Lebanon and Nigeria, whose terms on the Council end on 31 December 2011.
