Starting 1st January Slovenia has become a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the second time. Joining Slovenia among the five new non-permanent members with a two-year term are Algeria, Guyana, South Korea, and Sierra Leone.
The UN Security Council comprises 15 members, including five permanent members with veto power – France, the United Kingdom, the USA, China, and Russia. The remaining ten members are elected for two-year terms, with five members being replaced each year.
Non-permanent members are selected based on regional representation.
Serbia, Montenegro, and North Macedonia have never been represented in the UN Security Council, nor have more than a third of the UN member countries.
Yugoslavia served as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council four times. Following its dissolution, Slovenia (1998-1999), Croatia (2008-2009), and Bosnia and Herzegovina (2010-2011) have served as independent states in the Council.
Photo: UN Photo/Manuel Elías