The nation of Mozambique will join the United Nations Security Council in January 2023, following a UN General Assembly election on Thursday.
Also elected to the council are Ecuador, Japan, Malta and Switzerland, all as nonpermanent members of the 15-nation body. Ten of those nations are determined by the UN membership vote, while the other five are permanent members. They include the United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom.
Mozambique will hold one of two seats allotted to African and Asia-Pacific countries. Kenya will be leaving its seat at the end of the year, along with India, Ireland, Mexico and Norway.
Gabon and Ghana, with Albania, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates, all will serve the second year of the two-year terms to which nonpermanent member states are elected at the UN Security Council.
The UN said the five new members all ran largely uncontested. Mozambique received 192 votes in securing what will be its first opportunity to sit on the council.
The southern African nation continues to deal with its own security struggles, fighting against extremists in the Cabo Delgado region, as well as longstanding economic and financial challenges. Mozambique has also faced a long recovery from catastrophic tropical storms that devastated Beira and nearby regions.
African nations, led by the African Union, for years have pressed for UN Security Council reform that would increase representation and rebalance the council to more equitably reflect Africa’s role in the global community.
Image: UNGA