The UN General Assembly elected the United Arab Emirates, Albania, Brazil, Gabon and Ghana to the United Nations Security Council on Friday for a two-year term starting on Jan. 1, 2022.
All five countries ran unopposed for a spot on the 15-member body, which is charged with maintaining international peace and security. They will replace Estonia, Niger, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tunisia and Vietnam.
To ensure geographical representation, seats are allocated to regional groups. But even if candidates are running unopposed in their group, they still need to win the support of more than two-thirds of the UN General Assembly.
The Security Council is the only UN body that can make legally binding decisions like imposing sanctions and authorizing use of force. It has five permanent veto-wielding members - the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia.
"The UAE has always been ready to shoulder its share of responsibility for the world’s most pressing challenges in collaboration with the international community and this was the driving force of our bid," said Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
"Since its establishment, our country has been committed to multilateralism, international law, and the Charter of the UN. When we serve on the Security Council, we will continue to uphold these principles," he added.
