Five countries – Bahrain, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Latvia, and Liberia – have just joined the UN Security Council as new non-permanent members for the 2026-2027 term. Their two-year mandate begins in a particularly tense international context, where the challenges of peace, security, and global governance are at their highest.
The five new members
Bahrain, Colombia, the DRC, Latvia, and Liberia will serve as non-permanent members of the Security Council from January 1, 2026, to December 31, 2027. They replace Algeria, Guyana, the Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone, and Slovenia, whose terms end in late 2025.
A fifteen-member Council
The Security Council has fifteen members, including five permanent members with veto power: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Alongside them are ten non-permanent members, elected for two-year terms, who do not have veto power but are fully engaged in voting, negotiations, and agenda-setting.
A secret ballot election
The five new members were elected by the General Assembly by secret ballot for a term beginning January 1, 2026. Each state must obtain a two-thirds majority of the members present and voting, a condition that enshrines the political legitimacy of the elected members within the body responsible for international peace and security.
Implications for Africa and multilateralism
With the DRC and Liberia, the African continent is strengthening its presence on the Security Council, within the framework of the A3 group, which coordinates African positions on issues affecting the continent.
These two countries intend to highlight African priorities: conflict resolution, support for peacekeeping operations, and addressing the impact of climate and humanitarian crises.
A Mandate in a World in Crisis
The entry of these five states comes at a time when the Council is facing a proliferation of crises—armed conflicts, regional tensions, cyber threats, and climate change—that are testing the multilateral system.
Their ability to forge compromises, represent their regions, and defend international law will be crucial to the Security Council’s effectiveness over the next two years.
Reactions of Permanent Members to These New Elections
The permanent members have not yet expressed a significantly different public position on the election of Bahrain, Colombia, the DRC, Latvia, and Liberia, but they have collectively welcomed their entry to the Council in a protocol-driven and consensual manner. The tone remains one of principled support for multilateralism, against a backdrop of persistent rivalries between major powers.
Official Messages and General Tone
During the flag-raising ceremony, representatives of the permanent members delivered welcoming speeches, emphasizing the “responsibility” and “crucial role” of the new members in addressing international crises.
The language used focused on cooperation, consensus-building, and strengthening the Security Council’s mandate, without expressing any reservations or criticisms about the identity of the five new members.
Collective Position of the P5
The five permanent members (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) joined the flag-raising ceremony, which constitutes a political signal of recognition and full acceptance of their 2026–2027 mandates.
The common message is that the arrival of these countries should contribute to “meaningful solutions” and the strengthening of international peace and security, despite persistent tensions among the P5 on several issues (Ukraine, the Middle East, etc.).
