Following the elections for non-permanent members of the UN Security Council for the 2027–2028 term, held on 3 June at the UN General Assembly, Kyrgyzstan will join the Council for the first time in its history. Furthermore, this marks the first time in nearly a decade that a Central Asian nation will serve on the Security Council, the UN News Service reports.
“During its tenure on the UN Security Council, the Kyrgyz Republic intends to consistently advance priorities aimed at strengthening international peace and security, preventing conflicts, developing preventive diplomacy, supporting the peaceful settlement of disputes, and enhancing the role of small and developing states in the international system. It will also focus on integrating climate, water, mountain, and environmental challenges into the context of global security,” stated the President of Kyrgyzstan, Sadyr Japarov.
According to reports, Kyrgyzstan secured 142 votes in the fourth round, outpolling the Philippines, which was also vying for the single seat allocated to the Asia-Pacific Group.
Austria and Portugal were also elected to the Security Council from the Western European and Others Group, Trinidad and Tobago from the Latin American and Caribbean Group, and Zimbabwe from the African Group. To secure election, countries needed to obtain a two-thirds majority of the member states present and voting, equivalent to 127 votes.
The mandates of five current non-permanent members—Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama, and Somalia—will expire at the end of 2026, making way for the newly elected nations.
Among Central Asian nations, Kazakhstan previously served as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2017–2018 term. Additionally, it was earlier announced that Turkmenistan intends to run for a non-permanent seat on the Council for the 2031–2032 period. /// nCa, 4 June 2026