PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
Togo elected UN Security Council non-permanent member
New York, US (PANA) - Togo late Friday finally joined Morocco, Guatemala and Pakistan as new non-permanent members of the 15-member UN Security Council for the 2012-13 term.
PANA reported that Morocco, Guatemala and Pakistan had earlier in the first round of voting at the UN General Assembly became new members of the Council.
However, Togo had in the first and second rounds of the elections failed to get the required votes to secure a seat on the Council.
Togo got 119 votes, Mauritania (98), Kyrgyzstan (55) and Fiji (one) in the first round and during a second restricted round of voting, Togo again received 119 votes while Mauritania obtained 72.
However, in a third round of balloting, Togo obtained 131 votes, above the two-thirds threshold and was therefore elected.
Mauritania received 61 votes.
It will be the second time in its history that Togo had served on the UN Security Council, with the first stint in 1982-83.
Meanwhile, a fifth vacant seat, which is allocated to an Eastern European country, remains unfilled after no country passed the necessary threshold during nine rounds of voting.
Voting in that Eastern European category will resume Monday.
In the ninth round of balloting, Azerbaijan obtained 113 votes and Slovenia received 77 votes and each failed to secure the two-thirds majority threshold.
The elections were held to replace the departing members of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Gabon, Lebanon and Nigeria.
The 193-UN member states voted by secret ballot for five non-permanent seats divided by geographical grouping – three from Africa and the Asia-Pacific region, one from Eastern Europe, and one from Latin America and the Caribbean.
To win election, a country must receive a two-thirds majority of those countries present and voting, regardless of whether or not they are the only candidate in their region.
Voting continues until the threshold is reached for the required number of seats.
Guatemala received 191 votes and was duly elected to the Latin America and Caribbean seat, Assembly President Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser announced after the conclusion of the first round of voting this morning.
Morocco received 151 votes and Pakistan received 129 votes in the first round, which means they were elected to two of the three seats allocated to Africa and the Asia-Pacific.
Morocco has served twice previously on the UN Security Council in 1963-64 and again in 1992-93.
Pakistan has served on six previous occasions, most recently in 2003-04.
The new members will join Colombia, Germany, India, Portugal and South Africa, whose terms end on 31 December, 2012 and the five permanent Council members, which each wield the power of veto, namely China, France, Russia, the UK and the US.
-0- PANA AA/BOS 22Oct2011
PANA reported that Morocco, Guatemala and Pakistan had earlier in the first round of voting at the UN General Assembly became new members of the Council.
However, Togo had in the first and second rounds of the elections failed to get the required votes to secure a seat on the Council.
Togo got 119 votes, Mauritania (98), Kyrgyzstan (55) and Fiji (one) in the first round and during a second restricted round of voting, Togo again received 119 votes while Mauritania obtained 72.
However, in a third round of balloting, Togo obtained 131 votes, above the two-thirds threshold and was therefore elected.
Mauritania received 61 votes.
It will be the second time in its history that Togo had served on the UN Security Council, with the first stint in 1982-83.
Meanwhile, a fifth vacant seat, which is allocated to an Eastern European country, remains unfilled after no country passed the necessary threshold during nine rounds of voting.
Voting in that Eastern European category will resume Monday.
In the ninth round of balloting, Azerbaijan obtained 113 votes and Slovenia received 77 votes and each failed to secure the two-thirds majority threshold.
The elections were held to replace the departing members of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Gabon, Lebanon and Nigeria.
The 193-UN member states voted by secret ballot for five non-permanent seats divided by geographical grouping – three from Africa and the Asia-Pacific region, one from Eastern Europe, and one from Latin America and the Caribbean.
To win election, a country must receive a two-thirds majority of those countries present and voting, regardless of whether or not they are the only candidate in their region.
Voting continues until the threshold is reached for the required number of seats.
Guatemala received 191 votes and was duly elected to the Latin America and Caribbean seat, Assembly President Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser announced after the conclusion of the first round of voting this morning.
Morocco received 151 votes and Pakistan received 129 votes in the first round, which means they were elected to two of the three seats allocated to Africa and the Asia-Pacific.
Morocco has served twice previously on the UN Security Council in 1963-64 and again in 1992-93.
Pakistan has served on six previous occasions, most recently in 2003-04.
The new members will join Colombia, Germany, India, Portugal and South Africa, whose terms end on 31 December, 2012 and the five permanent Council members, which each wield the power of veto, namely China, France, Russia, the UK and the US.
-0- PANA AA/BOS 22Oct2011
