Sixty-fourth General Assembly

Plenary

25^th Meeting (AM)

General Assembly Elects 18 Members to Economic and Social Council

The General Assembly today elected 18 members to the Economic and Social Council to serve three-year terms beginning 1 January 2010.

Those elected were Argentina, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Comoros, Egypt, Ghana, Iraq, Italy, Mongolia, Philippines, Rwanda, Slovakia, Ukraine, United States and Zambia.

The 18 outgoing members were Algeria, Barbados, Belarus, Bolivia, Canada, Cape Verde, El Salvador, Indonesia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Luxembourg, Malawi, Netherlands, Philippines, Romania, Somalia, Sudan and the United States.

The new members were elected according to the following pattern:  five from African States; four from Asian States; two from Eastern European States; three from Latin American and Caribbean States; and four from Western European and Other States.

Ahead of that action, the Assembly, in a by-election, elected Australia, Finland, Malta and Turkeyto fill the un-expired terms of office of New Zealand, Sweden, Greece and Portugal, which will relinquish their Council seats for the Group of Western European and Other States on 1 January 2010. The terms of Australia and Finland will end on 31 December 2010, while the terms of Malta and Turkey will end on 31 December 2011.  They join the Group’s other members, namely France, Germany, Liechtenstein, Norway and the United Kingdom.

As of 1 January 2010, the remaining members of the Council will be Australia, Brazil, Cameroon, China, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, India, Japan, Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, Republic of Korea, Moldova, Russian Federation, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Kingdom, Uruguay and Venezuela.

The General Assembly will reconvene at 10 a.m. Tuesday, 27 October, to take up the report of the Economic and Social Council, as well as matters regarding the implementation and follow-up to the outcomes of major United Nations conferences and summits in the economic, social and related fields.

Voting Results

Election to Seats Vacated by New Zealand, Sweden, Greece and Portugal

Ahead of the general elections for the Economic and Social Council, the Assembly President drew attention to a letter from the United Kingdom representative, in his capacity as Chair of the Group of Western European and Other States for the month of October 2009 (document A/64/493), which announced that, per the Group’s rotation scheme, four Council members ‑‑ New Zealand, Sweden, Greece and Portugal ‑‑ would relinquish part of their terms on 31 December 2009.  Members of the Group that had been endorsed to complete the rest of the term beginning on 1 January 2010 were Australia, Finland, Malta and Turkey,respectively.

Western European and Other States (4 Seats)

Number of ballot papers:	186
Number of invalid ballots:	0
Number of valid ballots:	186
Abstentions:	4
Number of Members present and voting:	182
Required majority:	122
Number of votes obtained by country:
Finland	148
Malta	147
Turkey	147
Australia	146
Italy	29
United States	29
Canada	29
Belgium	28
Austria	1
Monaco	1
Luxembourg	1

The Assembly elected Australia and Finland to fill the remaining terms of office of New Zealand and Sweden, which expire 31 December 2010, and Malta and Turkey to fill those of Greece and Portugal, which expire 31 December 2011.

Economic and Social Council Membership

African States (5 Seats)
Number of ballot papers:	188
Number of invalid ballots:	0
Number of valid ballots:	188
Abstentions:	0
Number of Members Present and voting:	188
Required majority:	126
Number of votes obtained by country:
Ghana	183
Comoros	182
Zambia	180
Rwanda	178
Egypt	177
Asian States (4 Seats)
Number of ballot papers:	188
Number of invalid ballots:	0
Number of valid ballots:	188
Abstentions:	0
Number of Members Present and voting:	188
Required majority:	126
Number of votes obtained by country:
Bangladesh	185
Mongolia	185
Philippines	185
Iraq	182
Eastern European States (2 Seats)
Number of ballot papers:	188
Number of invalid ballots:	0
Number of valid ballots:	188
Abstentions:	6
Number of Members Present and voting:	182
Required majority:	122
Number of votes obtained by country:
Ukraine	182
Slovakia	181
Latin American and Caribbean States (3 Seats)
Number of ballot papers:	188
Number of invalid ballots:	0
Number of valid ballots:	188
Abstentions:	3
Number of Members Present and voting:	185
Required majority:	124
Number of votes obtained by country:
Chile	183
Bahamas	182
Argentina	181
Dominican Republic	1
Western European and Other States (4 Seats)
Number of ballot papers:	188
Number of invalid ballots:	0
Number of valid ballots:	188
Abstentions:	5
Number of Members Present and voting:	183
Required majority:	122
Number of votes obtained by country:
Italy	179
Belgium	177
Canada	174
United States	174

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For information media • not an official record