Zimbabwe, the sole candidate for the African group, secured a seat on Wednesday in New York, secured the UN Security Council seat in a closely watched election.

Other countries that secured seats around the iconic horseshoe table are Austria, Portugal, Trinidad and Tobago, and Kyrgyzstan.

The five countries were elected by the 193-member General Assembly to serve as non-permanent members of the Security Council for two-year terms beginning on  January 1, 2027.

Austria and Portugal won the two seats allocated to the Western European and other States Group, while Trinidad and Tobago and Zimbabwe were elected from the Latin American and Caribbean Group and the African Group, respectively.

Kyrgyzstan secured the Asia-Pacific seat after defeating the Philippines in four rounds of voting.

Portugal and Austria prevailed in the first round, receiving 134 and 131 votes respectively – comfortably above the required two-thirds majority. Germany received 104 votes and was eliminated.

In the Latin American and Caribbean Group, Trinidad and Tobago secured 181 votes, while Guyana received one vote despite not being a candidate.

Zimbabwe, the sole candidate for the African Group seat, received 182 votes.

Secretary-general Antonio Guterres has repeatedly warned that international institutions remain “stuck in the world as it was in 1945, not the world of today,” including the Security Council itself.

African countries have been among the strongest advocates for change, arguing that a continent of 54 Member States remains underrepresented in the council’s permanent decision-making structures.

He calls for expanded representation from developing countries, which overall have also grown louder.

The veto power— which allows any permanent member to block Council action regardless of broader support — has also come under increasing scrutiny.

The council has also faced mounting calls for reform, with UN and world leaders arguing that its composition no longer reflects contemporary geopolitical realities. The most competitive contest unfolded in the Asia-Pacific Group.

Kyrgyzstan led the first ballot with 105 votes to the Philippines’ 85, then steadily increased its support over three head-to-head rounds of voting, ultimately prevailing 142 to 49 in the fourth round.

(NAN)