UN / SECURITY COUNCIL NEW MEMBERS

Bahrain, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Latvia, and Liberia were elected to serve as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council, with two-year terms beginning in January 2026. UNIFEED

• Video Length: 00:04:36
• Production Date: 3 June 2025
• Asset Language: English; Spanish
• Personal Subject: PHILEMON YANG
• Corporate Name: SECURITY COUNCIL; GENERAL ASSEMBLY
• Subject Topical: ELECTIONS; MEMBERSHIP; MULTILATERALISM; PEACE AND SECURITY; CONFLICT
• Geographic Subject: BAHRAIN; COLOMBIA; LATVIA; DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO; LIBERIA; UKRAINE; MIDDLE EAST; GAZA; PALESTINE; ISRAEL; AFRICA
• MAMS Id: 3403976
• Parent Id: 3403534
• Alternate Title: unifeed250603b

Description

STORY: UN / SECURITY COUNCIL NEW MEMBERS
TRT: 04:36
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / SPANISH / NATS

DATELINE: 03 JUNE 2025, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

Shotlist

FILE - NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations Headquarters

03 JUNE 2025, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, General Assembly, ballot distribution
3. Various shots, ballot collection
5. UPSOUND (English) Philemon Yang, President, General Assembly, United Nations:
“Bahrain 186. Democratic Republic of Congo 183. Liberia 181.”
6. Pan right, delegates applauding
7. UPSOUND (English) Philemon Yang, President, General Assembly, United Nations:
“Latvia 178.”
8. Pan left, delegates applauding
9. UPSOUND (English) Philemon Yang, President, General Assembly, United Nations:
“Colombia 180.”
10. Various shots, delegates applauding
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Philemon Yang, President, General Assembly, United Nations:
“Bahrain, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Latvia and Liberia are elected members of the Security Council.”
12. Pan left, delegates applauding
13. Wide shot, Bahrain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani walks up to stakeout podium
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bahrain:
“The cornerstone for achieving peace in the region is, resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. It's a long-standing conflict. The immediate requirement or need is really to have a ceasefire in Gaza; the release of all hostages and detainees; the immediate allowance for inflow of humanitarian support and work towards achieving a two-state solution.”
15. Wide shot, the DRC’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Therese Kayikwamba Wagner walks up to stakeout podium
16. SOUNDBITE (English) Therese Kayikwamba Wagner, Minister of Foreign Affairs, international Cooperation and la Francophonie, Democratic Republic of the Congo:
“We will most certainly come to the Security Council bearing the experience of a country that knows what it is like to have decades of conflict, that has a thorough understanding of the challenges of peacekeeping operations and protection of civilians issues, as well as the convergence between conflict, natural resources and environmental changes. And this is the experience and expertise we wish to bring to the table, not to serve our own interests, but to serve the interests of humanity. Because we know that the situation in the DRC is not an individual or isolated one. We have a lot of crises around the world.”
17. Wide shot, Latvia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Baiba Braže walks up to stakeout podium
18. SOUNDBITE (English) Baiba Braže, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Latvia:
“We will spare no effort to achieve just and lasting peace in Ukraine. We will spare no effort to alleviate the human suffering in the Middle East, Gaza, Africa, and other conflicts around the globe. Our priorities will include advocacy for the UN Security Council's attention to the new and emerging threats of the 21st century, which includes cybersecurity, AI produced disinformation and threats to maritime security.”
19. Wide shot, Clombia’s Ambassador Leonor Zalabata walks up to stakeout podium
20. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Leonor Zalabata, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Colombia:
“Colombia, elected to the Security Council as a non-permanent member, what we really want to transmit is Colombia's experience at the Security Council, to invite everyone, and share our experience to improve the conditions of humanity.”
21. Wide shot, Liberian Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti walks up to stakeout podium
22. SOUNDBITE (English) Sara Beysolow Nyanti, Minister of Foreign, Liberia:
“This achievement is not merely a reflection of our dedication. It is a testament to the hopes, dreams and aspirations of countless individuals who yearn for a world where dialogue triumphs over discord where unity prevails over division. We have gathered here as representatives of diverse cultures and perspective, but we are united in our shared purpose to forge a more just and equitable world.”
23. Wide shot, Beysolow Nyanti walks away

Storyline

Bahrain, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Latvia, and Liberia were elected today (3 Jun) to serve as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council, with two-year terms beginning in January 2026.

They will serve through the end of 2027 on the UN body responsible for maintaining international peace and security.

A total of 188 Member States participated in the election, which required only one round of balloting.

In the African and Asia-Pacific group, Bahrain received 186 votes, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) garnered 183 votes, and Liberia received 181 votes, with one country abstaining.

In the Eastern European group, Latvia received 178 votes while10 countries abstained.

In the Latin America and the Caribbean group, Colombia received 180 votes, with eight countries abstaining.

With the exception of Latvia, which will take a seat on the Council for the first time in its history, all the elected countries have previously served: Colombia seven times, the DRC twice, and Bahrain and Liberia once each.

After the vote, representatives for the new Council members spoke to reporters.

Bahrain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, said, “the cornerstone for achieving peace in the region is, resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. It's a long-standing conflict. The immediate requirement or need is really to have a ceasefire in Gaza; the release of all hostages and detainees; the immediate allowance for inflow of humanitarian support and work towards achieving a two-state solution.

The DRC’s Foreign Minister, Therese Kayikwamba Wagner, said, “we will most certainly come to the Security Council bearing the experience of a country that knows what it is like to have decades of conflict, that has a thorough understanding of the challenges of peacekeeping operations and protection of civilians issues, as well as the convergence between conflict, natural resources and environmental changes.”

Kayikwamba Wagner said, “this is the experience and expertise we wish to bring to the table, not to serve our own interests, but to serve the interests of humanity. Because we know that the situation in the DRC is not an individual or isolated one. We have a lot of crises around the world.”

Latvia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Baiba Braže, said, “we will spare no effort to achieve just and lasting peace in Ukraine. We will spare no effort to alleviate the human suffering in the Middle East, Gaza, Africa, and other conflicts around the globe. Our priorities will include advocacy for the UN Security Council's attention to the new and emerging threats of the 21st century, which includes cybersecurity, AI produced disinformation and threats to maritime security.”

Colombia’s Ambassador, Leonor Zalabata, said her government wants to transmit “Colombia's experience at the Security Council, to invite everyone, and share our experience to improve the conditions of humanity.”

For her part, Liberian Foreign Minister, Sara Beysolow Nyanti, said, “this achievement is not merely a reflection of our dedication. It is a testament to the hopes, dreams and aspirations of countless individuals who yearn for a world where dialogue triumphs over discord where unity prevails over division.”

Beysolow Nyanti said, “we have gathered here as representatives of diverse cultures and perspective, but we are united in our shared purpose to forge a more just and equitable world.”

The Security Council has 15 members: five permanent members – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States – who hold veto power, and ten non-permanent members elected by the General Assembly for staggered two-year terms.

Elections are held annually by secret ballot, with seats allocated by regional group. Candidates must secure a two-thirds majority in the 193-member General Assembly to be elected.

They will join the five non-permanent members elected last year – Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama, and Somalia – who will serve through 2026. The incoming members will succeed Algeria, Guyana, the Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone, and Slovenia, whose terms end in December 2025.