Sixty-fifth General Assembly

Plenary

28^th Meeting (AM)

General Assembly Elects Colombia, Germany, India, Portugal, South Africa,

 

to Serve Two-Year Terms on Security Council

 

In three rounds of voting, the General Assembly today elected Colombia, Germany, India, Portugal and South Africa as five non-permanent members of the Security Council for two-year terms beginning on 1 January 2011.

They will fill the seats that will be vacated by Austria, Japan, Mexico, Turkey and Uganda.  Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Gabon, Lebanon and Nigeria will continue to serve as elected Council members during 2011, for the second year of their respective terms.  All new Council members will take their seats on 1 January 2011.

The five non-permanent members were elected according to the following pattern:  two from Africa and Asia, two from Western European and Other States, and one from Latin America and the Caribbean.  The four new members from Colombia, Germany, India and South Africa were elected in the first round of voting.

After a second round of voting to determine whether Canada or Portugal would gain the second seat allocated to the Western European and other States Group, Canada withdrew its candidacy.  Subsequently, Portugal was elected to fill that seat in the third round of voting.

The General Assembly will reconvene at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, 13 October to discuss the follow-up to the International Year of Microcredit.

First Round Voting Results

African and Asian States
Number of ballot papers:	191
Number of invalid ballots:	0
Number of valid ballots:	191
Abstentions:	1
Number of members present and voting:	190
Required majority:	127
Number of votes obtained by country:
India	187
South Africa	182
Pakistan	1
Swaziland	1
Latin American and Caribbean States
Number of ballot papers:	191
Number of invalid ballots:	0
Number of valid ballots:	191
Abstentions:	5
Number of members present and voting:	186
Required majority:	124
Number of votes obtained by country:
Colombia	186
Western European and Other States
Number of ballot papers:	191
Number of invalid ballots:	0
Number of valid ballots:	191
Abstentions:	1
Number of members present and voting:	190
Required majority:	127
Number of votes obtained by country:
Germany	128
Portugal	122
Canada	114

Having obtained the required two-thirds majority, Colombia, Germany, India and South Africa were elected to the Security Council for two-year terms, beginning on 1 January 2011.  As one seat remained to be filled from among the Western European and Other States, a second round of voting was required.

Second Round Voting results (First Restricted)

Western European and Other States
Number of ballot papers:	192
Number of invalid ballots:	1
Number of valid ballots:	191
Abstentions:	0
Number of members present and voting:	191
Required majority:	128
Number of votes obtained by country:
Portugal	113
Canada	78

With no country having received the required majority, the Assembly held a third round of voting.  Prior to that voting, Canada withdrew its candidacy.  A third round of voting was required to determine absolute majority on the remaining candidate.

Third Round Voting Results (Second Restricted)

Western Europe and Other States
Number of ballot papers:	185
Number of invalid ballots:	1
Number of valid ballots:	184
Abstentions:	2
Number of members present and voting:	182
Required majority:	122
Number of votes obtained by country:
Portugal	150
Canada	32

Having received the required majority, Portugal was elected to the Security Council for a two-year term beginning 1 January 2011.

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For information media • not an official record