Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic Jeenbek Kulubayev speaks to the media after securing a position against the Philippines on June 3, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
Austria, Kyrgyzstan, Portugal, Trinidad and Tobago, and Zimbabwe were elected as non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the year 2027-28, with India saying it looks forward to working closely with them during their two-year tenure.
In a closely watched and contested election on Wednesday (June 3, 2026), the 193-member United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) elected the five new non-permanent members who will replace Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama, and Somalia when their terms conclude at the end of 2026.
India congratulated the newly elected members. “Hearty congratulations to the newly elected @UN Security Council members,” India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni said in a post on X. “We look forward to working closely with each of you during your 2027-28 term and wish you all success,” he added.
The five new non-permanent UNSC members were elected by secret ballot for the two-year term beginning from January 1, 2027, and ending on December 31, 2028. In a major setback to Germany, the European country lost the election in the Western European and Other States category, securing 104 votes. Portugal (134 votes) and Austria (131 votes) won the election for the two seats allocated to the group. The results were announced by the President of the UN General Assembly and former German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.
Speaking to reporters at the UN headquarters later, German Minister for Foreign Affairs Johann Wadephul described the result as a “real disappointment. It’s a bitter defeat. This is an intense competition. Germany entered late, meaning we were at a disadvantage from the start, and we see that today clearly, it was not possible to make up for lost ground”. The Minister acknowledged that Berlin’s support for Ukraine and its position on Israel may have cost it a UNSC seat.
“We gave everything we had, and yes, there are some issues we have always taken a clear position on. Not all UN member states share these positions. There is our rock-solid support for Ukraine. It is no secret that Russia does not want such a voice at the table in the Security Council, which campaigned against us.
“It also may have cost us votes that Germany must always assume a special responsibility for Israel with regard to the Middle East conflict. We will continue to live up to our historical responsibility even if at the time we criticise specific policies of the current government,” Mr. Wadephul said.
In the two seats for African and Asia-Pacific States, Zimbabwe got 182 votes while Kyrgyzstan got 142 votes. Kyrgyzstan, which will sit on the Council for the first time, emerged victorious after four intense rounds of voting, defeating the Philippines by a vote of 142-49. In the Latin American and Caribbean States category, Trinidad and Tobago got 181 votes.
The powerful UN Security Council comprises 15 members, including five permanent veto-wielding members: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Next year, the newly-elected members will join the P5 nations and Bahrain, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Latvia, and Liberia, who will remain on the Council through the end of 2027.
India last sat at the UNSC horseshoe table as a non-permanent member in 2021-22, and Delhi has declared its candidature for the 2028-29 term.
Published – June 04, 2026 01:11 pm IST
