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UN elects Austria, Portugal, Kyrgyzstan, Trinidad, Zimbabwe to Security Council

6/4/2026

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Summary

Story summary

The United Nations General Assembly elected Austria, Portugal, Kyrgyzstan, Trinidad and Tobago, and Zimbabwe as non-permanent members of the Security Council.
Kyrgyzstan won the Asia-Pacific seat with 142 votes over the Philippines' 49, while Austria and Portugal received 131 and 134 votes respectively.
All five will start two-year terms on 1 January 2027, replacing Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama and Somalia on the 15-member council.

History

Historical Context

Since the 1963 reform that set a regional rotation for ten non-permanent seats, the UN General Assembly elects five members each year by a two-thirds majority. In the 1 November 1990 vote, Austria, Belgium, Ecuador, India and Zimbabwe won seats for the 1991-92 term, a pattern continued in the 2026 election that refreshed the Council’s geographic balance.

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Story summary

The United Nations General Assembly elected Austria, Portugal, Kyrgyzstan, Trinidad and Tobago, and Zimbabwe as non-permanent members of the Security Council.
Kyrgyzstan won the Asia-Pacific seat with 142 votes over the Philippines' 49, while Austria and Portugal received 131 and 134 votes respectively.
All five will start two-year terms on 1 January 2027, replacing Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama and Somalia on the 15-member council.

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