NEW YORK, (Pakistan Point News - 17th Jun, 2020) The United Nations is set to elect five countries to take up coveted seats on the powerful Security Council in New York on Wednesday, German press agency, dpa, reported.
Nations often run costly years-long campaigns to win a spot on the 15-member council, which is the only UN body that passes legally binding resolutions, such as imposing sanctions or authorising peacekeeping missions.
The council has five veto-wielding permanent members: Russia, the United States, France, Britain and China. Five countries are elected every year to take up the 10 remaining seats for two-year terms, which are distributed on a regional basis.
This year, there are two hotly contested races: Canada, Ireland and Norway are battling for two seats in the Western European and others group, while Kenya and Djibouti are competing to represent Africa.
India and Mexico are running unopposed for the Asia-Pacific and Latin America seats.
The election typically takes place in the UN General Assembly hall. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, each of the 193 UN member states will this year be given a time slot and designated venue to cast their secret ballot.
A candidate has to get a two-thirds majority of the vote to secure a spot on the council.
The five chosen countries are due to take up their seats at the UN's top table in January.
The Security Council has recently been under fire for failing to respond to the global coronavirus crisis, marred by divisions among its permanent members.
