Austria, Kyrgyzstan, Trinidad and Tobago, Portugal, and Zimbabwe were elected as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council for the 2027-28 term, while Germany suffered a setback amid its consistent support for Israeli actions in Gaza and Lebanon.
The 193-member UN General Assembly elected the five new non-permanent members, who will replace Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, and Somalia when their terms end in December 2026.
India extended its greetings to 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 non-permanent members were elected by secret ballot for a two-year term beginning January 1, 2027, and ending December 31, 2028.
In a major setback for Germany, the European country lost the election in the Western European and Other States category, securing only 104 votes. Portugal (134 votes) and Austria (131 votes) won the two seats allocated to the group.
The results were announced by the President of the UN General Assembly.
Meanwhile, reacting to Germany’s non-election, its Foreign Minister Wadephul described the outcome as a “real disappointment".
“It’s a bitter defeat. This was 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,” Wadephul said.
The minister acknowledged that his country’s consistent support for 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,” he added.
India last sat at the UNSC horseshoe table as a non-permanent member in 2021-22 and has declared its candidature for the 2028-29 term.
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