Bahrain, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Latvia, and Liberia were elected by the UN General Assembly on Tuesday to serve two-year terms on the 15-member UN Security Council beginning on January 1, 2026.
The only UN body with the authority to make legally binding decisions, such approving the use of force and imposing sanctions, is the Security Council. Britain, China, France, Russia, and the United States are its five permanent members, each of whom has the power to veto.
Five new members are added annually, while the remaining ten members are elected. Algeria, Sierra Leone, South Korea, Guyana, and Slovenia will be replaced by Bahrain, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Latvia, and Liberia, all of which were elected on uncontested slates.
