MANAMA: Bahrain has been elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for a two-year term starting in January 2026.
The Kingdom received 186 votes out of 188 in a single round of balloting, the highest among the five countries elected. Also elected were the Democratic Republic of the Congo (183 votes), Liberia (181), Colombia (180), and Latvia (178).
These countries will serve until the end of 2027 on the Council, which is tasked with maintaining international peace and security.
Seats on the 15-member Council are distributed among regional groups. In this election, two seats were allocated to Africa, one to Asia-Pacific, one to Eastern Europe, and one to Latin America and the Caribbean.
Latvia joins the Council for the first time. Colombia has served seven times, the DRC twice, and both Bahrain and Liberia once before.
The new members will replace Algeria, Guyana, the Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone, and Slovenia, whose terms end in December 2025. They will join the five non-permanent members elected last year—Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama, and Somalia—serving through 2026.
The Security Council comprises 15 members: five permanent (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States), and ten non-permanent members elected by the General Assembly for staggered two-year terms. Elections are held annually by secret ballot, requiring a two-thirds majority in the 193-member Assembly.
Elections are held annually by secret ballot, with seats allocated by regional group. Candidates must secure a two-thirds majority in the 193-member General Assembly to be elected.
The 2026 UN Security Council will include:
Permanent members: China, France, Russia, the UK, and the US.
Non-permanent members: Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama, Somalia, Bahrain, DRC, Liberia, Colombia, and Latvia
