2016 United Nations Security Council election explained

Election Date:28 June 2016
Old America:
New America:
Unsuccessful candidates
(Asia-Pacific)

The 2016 United Nations Security Council election was held on 28 June[1] during the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly, held at United Nations Headquarters in New York City. The elections were for five non-permanent seats on the UN Security Council for two-year mandates commencing on 1 January 2017.In accordance with the Security Council's rotation rules, whereby the ten non-permanent UNSC seats rotate among the various regional blocs into which UN member states traditionally divide themselves for voting and representation purposes, the five available seats were allocated as follows:

The five members will serve on the Security Council for the 2017 - 18 period.

This was the first time a Security Council election was held in the month of June.[2] On 18 September 2014, the General Assembly adopted Resolution 68/307 to push the elections back to six months prior to the beginning of the newly elected Council members' terms. Moreover, this was the first election of Kazakhstan to the Council.

Candidates

African Group

Asia-Pacific Group

Latin American and Caribbean Group

Western European and Others Group

Support

William Courtney, the former U.S. Ambassador to Kazakhstan, said that "based on the solid successes of Kazakhstan to establish CICA, Chairmanship of the OSCE and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Kazakhstan, like no other country, deserves special trust and is a suitable candidate for a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council."[12]

Public debate

In May 2016, the World Federation of United Nations Associations hosted the first open debates for UN Member States competing for a seat as a non-permanent member to the Security Council. All five contenders participated in the debate.[13]

Result

African and Asia-Pacific Groups

Kazakhstan became the first Central Asian country to sit on the UNSC.[14]

Western European and Other Group

Day 1

Following five rounds of inconclusive voting, Bert Koenders and Paolo Gentiloni, Foreign Ministers of the Netherlands and Italy respectively, announced a proposal whereby the Netherlands and Italy would split the two-year term with each country serving one year.[15] Such arrangements were relatively common in deadlocked elections starting in the late 1950s until 1966, when the Security Council was enlarged. This however would be the first time in over five decades that two members agreed to split a term; intractable deadlocks have instead usually been resolved by the candidate countries withdrawing in favor of a third member state.[1]

Day 2

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Security Council Elections 2016. Security Council Report. 3 June 2016. 29 June 2016.
  2. Web site: Security Council Elections 2015. 2 October 2015. 2 October 2015. Security Council Report.
  3. http://www.au.int/en/sites/default/files/EX%20CL%20Dec%20851%20-%20872%20%28XXVI%29%20_E.pdf EX.CL/Draft/Dec.872(XXVI) paragraph 4 (VI))
  4. Web site: EAC member states endorse Kutesa for UN. 20 August 2013. New Vision.
  5. News: Schadomsky. Ludger. Ethiopia gets non-permanent UN Security Council seat. 29 June 2016. Deutsche Welle. 28 June 2016. Africa (sic) heads of state and government had agreed on Ethiopia as a joint candidate at their summit in January, when Kenya and the Seychelles withdrew from the contest..
  6. Web site: Seychelles bids for UN Security Council seat. 5 August 2012. 20 August 2013. Associated Press.
  7. Web site: Seychelles withdraws bid for UN Security Council seat. 16 January 2016. 4 March 2016. Seychelles News Agency.
  8. Web site: Secretary-General, Opening Annual General Debate, Urges World Leaders to Tackle Global Challenges Decisively for Sake of Future Generations. 21 September 2011. 7 September 2013. United Nations.
  9. News: PM gears up for historic UN speech. 4 September 2013. 7 September 2013. Bangkok Post. Achara. Ashayagachat.
  10. Web site: The EU, the UN and Collective Security. Making Multilateralism Effective. 13 May 2013. 20 August 2013. Istituto Affari Internazionali.
  11. Web site: Minister Describes Use of Force to Address Problems as 'Ineffective, Meaningless and Destructive', on Fourth Day of General Assembly's Annual Debate. 27 September 2013. 28 September 2013. United Nations.
  12. News: Kazakhstan and USA successfully develop strategic partnership. FinInfo.
  13. Web site: First Security Council Election Debates. 24 May 2016. 24 May 2016. WFUNA.
  14. Web site: Kazakh FM Outlines Priorities Following Historic Election to UN Security Council for 2017-2018. astanatimes.com. July 2016 .
  15. Web site: General Assembly Elects 4 New Non-permanent Members to Security Council, as Western and Others Group Fails to Fill Final Vacancy. 28 June 2016. 28 June 2016. United Nations.

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