Four nations elected to UN Security Council

THE UN General Assembly elected on Wednesday four new members of the Security Council for next year and 2022, with Canada losing out again and the battle for the African seat going to a second round.

India, Mexico, Norway and Ireland were chosen as non-permanent members, while Djibouti and Kenya – both of which failed to receive the two-thirds vote majority required to win – will go to a second round of voting on Thursday.

Canada was beaten once again for one of theWestern seats, by Ireland and Norway, despite a long and star-studded campaign, a result likely to be a blow to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

In the Asia-Pacific region, India – which has been trying unsuccessfully to win a permanent seat in an expanded Security Council – ran unopposed to win 184 votes out of the 192 countries that participated in the election.

India will now have a seat at the same table as China, just days after the two nations disputed their Himalayan border, trading blame for a brawl that left at least 20 Indian soldiers dead, and many more from the Chinese side.

Mexico, which also ran unopposed, earned 187 votes.

Secretary of External Affairs Marcelo Ebrard welcomed Mexico’s election in a Twitter post: “I have the honour to report that Mexico has been elected with 187 votes to be a member of the UN Security Council. Great recognition for our country from the entire world. Congratulations!!!!”

African nations have in the past picked their own candidate but were unable to put forward a single country this time. Kenya received 113 votes against Djibouti, which got 78.

Kenya boasts of enjoying the support of the African Union, but Djibouti says it should have the seat due to Nairobi’s past participation on the Security Council and the principle of rotation.

French-speaking Djibouti and English-speaking Kenya are both highlighting their roles in seeking peace on the Horn of Africa, as well as their contributions to UN peacekeeping options.

Kenya pointed to its welcome to refugees from Somalia and South Sudan, as well as to its support to the two countries’ fragile governments.

Djibouti, in turn, notes its strategic location and unusual role as a defence base for diverse countries – France, the US, China and Japan – as well as its contributions in Somalia.

For Europe and theWestern seats, the competition was more customary.

Canada – already stung by being passed over for Portugal in its 2010 Security Council bid – was dominated by Norway, with 130 votes, and Ireland, which had 128, the minimum number required to win.

Trudeau had invested heavily in the latest Security Council effort, with the defeat potentially causing him political embarrassment at home.

“We remain committed to the goals and principles that we laid out during this campaign,” Trudeau said in a statement, adding that Canada would “continue to play a vital role in advancing global cooperation and building a more peaceful, inclusive and sustainable world”.