NEW YORK, 7th June, 2023 (WAM) — Five countries have been elected as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council following a vote in the General Assembly on Tuesday, a UN press statement said. Algeria, Guyana, South Korea, Sierra Leone and Slovenia will join the premier body for maintaining international peace and security, starting in January, serving for a two-year period. They were among six countries vying for five non-permanent seats that will become vacant at the end of the year. The Security Council is composed of 15 countries, five of which – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States are permanent members, granting them the right to veto any resolution or decision. The ten non-permanent members are elected by the General Assembly, which comprises all 193 UN Member States, and is in line with geographical distribution by region. Voting is conducted by secret ballot, and candidates must receive a two-thirds majority, or 128 votes, even if they run uncontested. The five newly elected countries will join Ecuador, Japan, Malta, Mozambique and Switzerland as non-permanent members of the Council. Rola AlGhoul/ Esraa Esmail

Source: Emirates News Agency (WAM)