GENERAL ASSEMBLY ELECTS 18 MEMBERS TO ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL FOR THREE-YEAR TERMS BEGINNING 1 JANUARY 2006

Sixtieth General Assembly

Plenary

34^th Meeting (AM)

GENERAL ASSEMBLY ELECTS 18 MEMBERS TO ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL

FOR THREE-YEAR TERMS BEGINNING 1 JANUARY 2006

The General Assembly this morning elected 18 members to the United Nations Economic and Social Council to serve for three-year terms beginning on 1 January 2006.

Those elected today were Angola, Austria, Benin, Cuba, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Japan, Madagascar, Mauritania, Paraguay, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sri Lanka and Turkey. 

They will fill the seats vacated on 31 December by Azerbaijan, Benin, Congo, Cuba, Ecuador, France, Germany, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Spain and Turkey. 

As of 1 January 2006, the remaining members of the Council will be Albania, Armenia, Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Belize, Brazil, Canada, Chad, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Italy, Lithuania, Mauritius, Mexico, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Poland, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, South Africa, Thailand, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, and the United States.

The 18 were to be elected according to the following pattern:  five from Africa, three from Asia, one from Eastern Europe, four from Latin America and the Caribbean, and five from Western European and Other States.

All the regional groups had endorsed just enough candidates to fill the available seats, with the exception of the Latin American and Caribbean States, which had endorsed Cuba, Guyana, Haiti, Paraguay and Uruguay for its four available seats on the panel.

The Assembly will reconvene on Thursday, 20 October, to take up “Culture of Peace” and “Global Agenda for Dialogue among Civilizations”.

Voting Results

The results of the balloting were, as follows:

African States
Total number of ballots:	189
Number of invalid ballots:	0
Number of valid ballots:	189
Abstentions:	1
Number of members voting:	188
Required majority:	126
Number of votes received:
Angola	186
Benin	183
Guinea-Bissau	180
Madagascar	184
Mauritania	181
Asian States
Total number of ballots:	189
Number of invalid ballots:	1
Number of valid ballots:	188
Abstentions:	1
Number of members voting:	187
Required majority:	125
Number of votes received:
Japan	180
Myanmar	1
Saudi Arabia	182
Sri Lanka	180
Eastern European States
Total number of ballots:	189
Number of invalid ballots:	3
Number of valid ballots:	186
Abstentions:	12
Number of members voting:	174
Required majority:	116
Number of votes received:
Czech Republic	173
Azerbaijan	1

Latin American and Caribbean States
Total number of ballots:	189
Number of invalid ballots:	1
Number of valid ballots:	188
Abstentions:	0
Number of members voting:	188
Required majority:	126
Number of votes received:
Cuba	154
Grenada	1
Guyana	158
Haiti	138
Nicaragua	1
Paraguay	160
Uruguay	121
Western European and Other States
Total number of ballots:	189
Number of invalid ballots:	1
Number of valid ballots:	188
Abstentions:	5
Number of members voting:	183
Required majority:	122
Number of votes received:
Australia	1
Austria	175
France	175
Germany	174
Greece	1
Ireland	4
Spain	173
Turkey	172

The following States received the required two-thirds majority and would become members of the Council:  Angola, Austria, Benin, Cuba, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Japan, Madagascar, Mauritania, Paraguay, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sri Lanka, and Turkey.

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For information media • not an official record