Venezuela, Malaysia, Spain elected to UN Security Council

© Spencer Platt, AFP | Venezuela representatives, including Foreign Minister Rafael Ramrez (R), celebrate after being elected.

Text by Sophie PILGRIM 

Latest update : 2014-10-16

Angola, Malaysia, New Zealand, Spain, and Venezuela were elected to two-year terms on the UN Security Council Thursday, after fierce lobbying failed to garner Turkey a spot. The US also failed in its bid to scupper Venezuela’s chances.

Competition between New Zealand, Spain and Turkey for two available “Western Europe and Other” seats was heated, with each country lobbying hard up until Thursday’s vote.

New Zealand, which has not sat on the council for two decades, has promised to seek reforms in the council, including the controversial veto power of the five permanent members, which has left the council largely impotent in the face of the Syrian crisis because of Russian opposition. It won one of two seats outright with 145 votes in the first round.

Spain, who last sat on the council in 2004, ultimately beat Turkey with 145 votes in a tense run-off vote for the final spot on the Council when neither country secured enough votes in the first ballot.

THE UN'S ONLY REAL POWER

Charged with the maintenance of international peace and security, the Security Council is the only UN body with any real power.

All 193 United Nations member states are obligated to comply with council decisions.

The council has 15 members, each with one vote.

The US, UK, Russia, China and France all have permanent seats.

Spain hopes to rebuild its reputation as an international player after years of devastating financial woes.

Fierce lobbying

Turkey, which won only 60 of votes in the final round, jeopardised its bid last week when it launched airstrikes against Kurdish forces fighting the Islamic State group, which the Security Council is seeking to curb.

Venezuela achieved a long term goal in winning its uncontested bid for the Latin American and Caribbean seat, with 181 votes in the first round. While the US remained opposed to Venezuela’s bid, it refrained from publicly opposing the bid, unlike in 2006, when it successfully campaigned against Venezuela's efforts to join the council.

Angola won the African seat by 190 votes and Malaysia for the Asian seat by 187 (both also uncontested).

The five elected members will replace Argentina, Australia, Luxembourg, South Korea and Rwanda, and will serve until the end of 2016.

http://www.france24.com/en/20141016-new-zealand-venezuela-angola-malaysia-win-seats-un-security-council/