NEW YORK: The UN General Assembly is set to meet on Thursday to elect five non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), as Pakistan and other candidates for a seat on the world’s body’s power centre stepped up their lobbying activities and efforts.
As per details, those elected will serve for two years — from January 1, 2025, through the end of 2026. They will replace Ecuador, Japan, Mozambique, Malta, and Switzerland whose terms end on December 31.
Under the UN Charter, the main responsibility of the UNSC is the maintenance of global peace and security.
A seven-term candidate, Pakistan, which was endorsed by the 53-member Asian Group, is unopposed in the contest. The Asian seat this year is being vacated by Japan. Pakistan’s earlier terms on the UNSC were in 2012-13, 2003-04, 1993-94, 1983-84, 1976- 77, 1968-69 and 1952-53.
The UNSC is composed of 15 nations, five of which – France, China, the United Kingdom, the United States and Russia – are permanent members, granting them the right to veto any resolution.
The 10 non-permanent members are elected by the UNGA, which comprises all 193 UN Member nations, and in line with geographical distribution by region.
Voting is carried out by secret ballot and candidates must receive a two-thirds majority, or 128 votes, even if they run uncontested. In case a candidate falls short of the target, re-polls are conducted until the needed number of votes are secured. If a situation of deadlock develops, then compromise candidates are brought in.
According to APP, the Pakistan delegation, which is led by Ambassador Munir Akram, has worked hard for months, in coordination with the Foreign Ministry and Pakistani embassies around the world, and appears confident of success. If elected, he said, Islamabad will devote its efforts to promoting the maintenance of international peace and security and the peaceful resolution of conflicts and disputes in accordance with the principles and purposes of the UN Charter.
