General Assembly Elects 19 Economic and Social Council Members to Terms Beginning 1 January 2020, Adopts Resolution Commemorating Signing of United Nations Charter
The General Assembly today elected 19 members of the Economic and Social Council, while also deciding to commemorate the seventy-fifth anniversary of the signing of the United Nations Charter on 26 June 2020, and to convene a high-level meeting marking the anniversary later that year.
Eighteen States were elected to the Economic and Social Council to serve three-year terms, beginning 1 January 2020. Those were Australia, Bangladesh, Benin, Botswana, China, Colombia, Congo, Finland, Gabon, Latvia, Nicaragua, Montenegro, Norway, Panama, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Switzerland and Thailand.
The new members were elected according to the following pattern: Four from African States; four from Asia-Pacific States; three from Eastern European States; three from Latin American and Caribbean States; and four from Western European and other States.
Additionally, the Assembly held a by-election in which it selected Spain to complete the remaining term recently relinquished by Turkey, commencing 1 January 2020 and expiring on 31 December 2020.
As of 1 January 2020, the remaining States making up the 54-member organ will be: Angola, Armenia, Belarus, Brazil, Canada, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Ghana, India, Iran, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Luxembourg, Malawi, Mali, Malta, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Pakistan, Paraguay, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Togo, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United States and Uruguay.
In other business, the Assembly adopted a resolution titled, “Commemoration of the seventy-fifth anniversary of the United Nations”. By its terms, it decided to convene a high-level meeting on 21 September 2020 under the theme “The future we want, the United Nations we need: reaffirming our collective commitment to multilateralism”; to hold commemoration activities on 26 June 2020 to mark the seventy-fifth anniversary of the signing of the Organization’s Charter; and to observe United Nations Day on 24 October 2020.
Delivering brief remarks, the representative of the European Union called for the close and active engagement of civil society and non-governmental stakeholders in the seventy-fifth anniversary events.
The Assembly will reconvene at a date and time to be announced.
Voting Results to Fill Remaining Term of One Current Council Member
Western-European and Other States
|
Number of ballot papers: |
188 |
|
Number of invalid ballots: |
0 |
|
Number of valid ballots: |
188 |
|
Abstentions: |
7 |
|
Number of Members present and voting: |
181 |
|
Required majority: |
121 |
|
Number of votes obtained by country: |
|
|
Spain: |
180 |
|
Turkey: |
1 |
Voting Results for General Elections
African States
|
Number of ballot papers: |
191 |
|
Number of invalid ballots: |
0 |
|
Number of valid ballots: |
191 |
|
Abstentions: |
0 |
|
Number of Members present and voting: |
191 |
|
Required majority: |
128 |
|
Number of votes obtained by country: |
|
|
Benin |
190 |
|
Congo |
188 |
|
Botswana |
187 |
|
Gabon |
187 |
|
Cameroon |
1 |
|
Democratic Republic of the Congo |
1 |
Asia-Pacific 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: |
|
|
Thailand |
186 |
|
Republic of Korea |
183 |
|
Bangladesh |
181 |
|
China |
177 |
Eastern European 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: |
|
|
Latvia |
179 |
|
Montenegro |
178 |
|
Russian Federation |
174 |
Latin American and Caribbean 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: |
|
|
Nicaragua |
184 |
|
Colombia |
172 |
|
Panama |
171 |
Western European and Other States
|
Number of ballot papers: |
191 |
|
Number of invalid ballots: |
0 |
|
Number of valid ballots: |
191 |
|
Abstentions: |
6 |
|
Number of Members present and voting: |
185 |
|
Required majority: |
124 |
|
Number of votes obtained by country: |
|
|
Switzerland |
178 |
|
Finland |
177 |
|
Norway |
175 |
|
Australia |
170 |
|
Belgium |
1 |
|
Greece |
1 |
|
Italy |
1 |