Mozambique | UN Security Council elections: President to address the nation today

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Mozambique | UN Security Council elections: President to address the nation today

11:51 CAT | 09 Jun 2022

FILE -Every candidate to a non-permanent seat at the Security Council must obtain the votes of two-thirds of the member states present and voting at the General Assembly session. This means that a minimum of 129 positive votes are required to win a seat if all 193 UN member states are present and voting. Pictured: UN General Assembly’s 77th session held in UN headquarters in New York. [File photo: Vietnam Ministry of Foreign Affairs]

President Filipe Nyusi will today watch the election of the five new non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) by the body’s General Assembly, which starts in its New York headquarters at 4:00 p.m. Mozambique time.

He will be following the vote from the Office of the Presidency of the Republic, in Maputo.

After the election, the Head of State will address the nation within the scope of Mozambique’s candidacy for a non-permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

Mozambique’s candidacy is endorsed by the African Union, as a continental organisation aggregating the will of African regional blocs including the SADC, of which Mozambique is a founding member.

If Mozambique is elected as a non-permanent member of the UNSC today, it will take up its seat on 1 January 2023 and will serve until 31 December 2024. under the motto “International Peace and Security and Sustainable Development”

In accordance with rule 92 of the rules of procedure, the election is held by secret ballot and there are no nominations. Under rule 83 of the rules of procedure, the non-permanent members of the Security Council are elected by a two-thirds majority.

Five UN member states— Ecuador, Japan, Malta, Mozambique and Switzerland—are currently running unopposed for the five available seats.

Every candidate must obtain the votes of two-thirds of the member states present and voting at the General Assembly session. This means that a minimum of 129 positive votes are required to win a seat if all 193 UN member states are present and voting.

The five seats available for election in 2022, according to the regular distribution among regions, will be as follows:

one seat for the African Group (currently held by Kenya);

one seat for the Asia-Pacific Group (currently held by India);

one seat for the Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC, currently held by Mexico); and

two seats for the Western European and Others Group (WEOG, currently held by Ireland and Norway).

The Eastern European Group is not contesting any seats this year, as its one seat, held by Albania through 2023, comes up for election every other year.

Three out of the five candidates have served on the Council previously: Japan has served eleven times, Ecuador three times, and Malta once. Mozambique and Switzerland have never served on the Council.

These states will formally join the other five non-permanent states elected last year and the five permanent members. The new countries will begin their tenure on the council in January 2023 and will serve two-year terms.

While the five non-permanent states do not have the same veto powers as the permanent members, their votes are required to pass binding resolutions and can influence the council schedule via a monthly rotating presidency role.

The Security Council has 15 members:

5 permanent members with veto power: China. France. Russian Federation. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. United States of America.