2014 United Nations Security Council election

The 2014 United Nations Security Council election was held on 16 October 2014[1] during the 69th session of the United Nations General Assembly, held at United Nations Headquarters in New York City. The elections were for five non-permanent seats on the UN Security Council for two-year mandates commencing on 1 January 2015. In accordance with the Security Council's rotation rules, whereby the ten non-permanent UNSC seats rotate among the various regional blocs into which UN member states traditionally divide themselves for voting and representation purposes, the five available seats were allocated as follows:

2014 United Nations Security Council election
16 October 2014
5 (of 10) non-permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council
United Nations Security Council membership after the elections
  Permanent members
  Non-permanent members
Members before election

 Rwanda (Africa)
 South Korea (Asia)
 Argentina (LatAm&Car)
 Australia (WEOG)
 Luxembourg (WEOG)

 New members





Unsuccessful candidates
 Turkey (WEOG)

The five members will serve on the Security Council for the 2015–16 period. The countries elected were Angola, Malaysia, New Zealand, Spain, and Venezuela.

Candidates

Western European and Others Group

Latin American and Caribbean Group

Asia-Pacific Group

African Group

Campaign

Malaysian Permanent Representative to the UN Datuk Hussein Haniff said: "I have been participating in all the open debates. The Malaysian mission is actively engaged in lobbying to get elected. We are the only candidate from Asia, so far, for a UNSC non-permanent seat, and need to get a two-thirds majority in the General Assembly for a non-permanent membership". Additionally, he asserted that while Malaysia was the sole candidate as of the end of 2013 for the seat, he hopes that "this will remain so until the electoral process is finalised".[18] Foreign Minister Dato' Seri Anifah Aman also said that "We must not take it for granted. We have to work very hard and we have to engage and meet leaders from various countries to secure the seat, but I am quite confident that Malaysia has a very good name globally".[19]

Opinions about Venezuela's candidacy

Due to the ongoing protests against the government within Venezuela, and the International Criminal Court's reopening of the preliminary investigation of the head of state and others on suspicions of Crimes Against Humanity,[20] there have been objections from domestic dissidents, such as Diego Arria, former ambassador of Venezuela to the United Nations during Venezuela's last term on the Security Council and Governor of the Federal District of Caracas[21] in the mid-1970s during the presidency of Carlos Andrés Pérez, to having Venezuela as an elected member of the Security Council.[22] Opposition has also come from figures such as Hillel Neuer, head of human rights organization UN Watch, according to whom "[e]lecting Venezuela to the UN Security Council is like making a pyromaniac into the fire chief".[23]
Neuer further declared:

"[...]Venezuela is notorious as the only country at the UN Human Rights Council last year to vote against holding Syria accountable, effectively backing its mass murder of 200,000 people. So the E.U. knows exactly what Venezuela will do with its U.N. vote".[24]

Result

African and Asia-Pacific Groups
African and Asia-Pacific Groups election results[25]
Member Round 1
 Angola190
 Malaysia187
 Republic of the Congo1
abstentions1
required majority128

Latin American and Caribbean Group
Latin American and Caribbean Group election results[25]
Member Round 1
 Venezuela181
 Brazil1
abstentions10
invalid ballots1
required majority122

Western European and Other Group
Western European and Other Group election results[25]
Member Round 1 Round 2 Round 3
 New Zealand145——
 Spain121120132
 Turkey1097360
abstentions001
required majority129129128

See also

References
  1. "Revitalization of the work of the General Assembly: Report of the Secretary". United Nations. 6 June 2014. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  2. "Asian group of nations at UN changes its name to Asia-Pacific group", Radio New Zealand International, 2011-08-31.
  3. "Minister to lobby for Security Council seat". Stuff. 24 September 2012. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  4. "New Zealand UN Security Council Candidate 2015-16". New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Retrieved 3 January 2012. New Zealand is seeking a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council in 2015-16. Elections are in 2014.
  5. "Malawi's JB meets Sir McKinnon over New Zealand UN seat bid". Nyasa Times. 22 August 2013. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
  6. "Spain, Candidate for the Securitz Council 2015-2016". Government of Spain, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (Spain). Retrieved 31 January 2014.
  7. "Tracing our Footsteps; New Zealand and the UN Security Council". New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Retrieved 3 January 2012. ... so far only two are seeking election in 2014 – Spain and New Zealand
  8. "Press Release from Turkey No.129 (Unofficial Translation)" (PDF). Member States Portal New York. Retrieved 3 January 2012. Thus, Turkey is announcing its candidacy for non-permanent membership in the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) for the years 2015 2016.
  9. "No: 129, 18 May 2011, Press Release Regarding the Turkey's Candidacy for the U.N. Security Council". Republic of Turkey Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 3 January 2012. Thus, Turkey is announcing its candidacy for non-permanent membership in the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) for the years 2015 2016.
  10. "Mexico should stop backing Venezuela". The News. 13 November 2013. Archived from the original on 27 January 2014. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
  11. "Venezuela's UN Security Council Bid Gains Backing". Reuters. 11 September 2014. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
  12. "Fiji, Turkey, Venezuela Among the Running for 2015/16 UNSC Seats". UN Tribune. 16 April 2014. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
  13. "How Much is a UN Security Council Seat Worth and Which Countries Get Elected?". UN Tribune. 15 October 2014. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
  14. "Canberra backs KL for UN Security Council seat". South African Foreign Policy Initiative. 8 November 2012. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
  15. "GCC support Malaysia's bid to occupy UN Security Council seat". The Peninsula. Qatar News Agency. 30 January 2014. Archived from the original on 30 January 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
  16. "Britain Optimistic Malaysia Will Secure UNSC Non-Permanent Seat". Bernama. Bernama. 18 February 2014. Archived from the original on 24 February 2014. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
  17. "Country seeks support for security council candidature". Agência Angola Press. 24 June 2013. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
  18. "Malaysia intensifies lobbying for UNSC seat in 2015". New Straits Times. Bernama. 20 December 2013. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
  19. "Malaysia to work hard for UN Security Council seat". The Star. 21 May 2013. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
  20. "Fiscalía de la CPI hace "examen preliminar" de denuncia contra Maduro". ABC.es. 24 September 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  21. "El Mundo Cambió, Venezuela No Cambió. Entrevista a Diego Arria. Por Andrés Abreu". www.guayoyoenletras.net. Archived from the original on 21 October 2014. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  22. "Venezuela's perilous closeup--The world must keep this rogue regime off of the UN Security Council". Daily News. 6 October 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  23. "UN Watch condemns EU majority for backing Venezuela's Security Council bid". UN Watch. 17 October 2014. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  24. "Most Western Democracies Supported Venezuela's Successful UN Security Council Bid". CNS News. 16 October 2014. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  25. "General Assembly Elects Angola, Malaysia, Venezuela, New Zealand, Spain as Non-Permanent Members of Security Council for 2015-2016". United Nations. 16 October 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
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