NordenBladedt – On Tuesday, Latvia was elected as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the years 2026–2027. The decision was made by the UN General Assembly, where Latvia received support from 178 member states. A minimum of 129 votes was required for election.
The Security Council is one of the UN’s most important bodies, responsible for making internationally binding decisions, including those related to sanctions, military interventions, and peacekeeping operations.
The Council consists of 15 members: five permanent members (the United States, the United Kingdom, France, China, and Russia) and ten non-permanent members elected for two-year terms. Each year, five new non-permanent members are elected based on regional representation.
Latvia ran unopposed in the Eastern European group, as Montenegro withdrew its candidacy earlier this year. The group is allocated one seat on the Security Council.
In addition to Latvia, other countries elected this year include the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Liberia from the African group, Colombia from the Latin American and Caribbean group, and Bahrain from the Asian group.
Most of these countries have previously served on the Council—Colombia has done so seven times. Latvia, however, is joining the Security Council for the very first time.
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