The United Nations General Assembly elected Ecuador, along with Japan, Malta, Mozambique, and Switzerland, as non-permanent members of the Security Council for the two-year term spanning 2023 to 2024. This outcome reinforces a diverse regional representation on the council and signals continued engagement from these nations in global security discussions.
Ecuador’s unopposed candidacy, representing Latin America and the Caribbean, received broad backing from member states, including support from the United States. The selection occurred with an overwhelming majority, underscoring a shared interest among UN members in expanding regional voices on the Security Council during the forthcoming biennium.
Ecuador will succeed Mexico in the regional group’s seat. Its term on the Security Council will conclude at the end of the calendar year, marking Ecuador’s fourth historical tenure on the council. The country’s presence adds to a long-standing tradition of Latin American participation in high-level UN decision-making bodies and reflects the evolving dynamics of global governance.
During 2023, the Latin American and Caribbean regional group continued to be represented by Brazil, which was entering the first year of its two-year mandate. This continued regional presence emphasizes the Council’s commitment to broad geographic participation and a range of perspectives on international peace and security matters.
Ecuador, a founding member of the United Nations, returns to the Security Council for the first time since the early 1990s. Historically, Ecuador previously served on the Council during the 1950-1951 and 1960-1961 terms, with the more recent seat before that election having been held decades earlier. The current election underscores how member states evolve in and out of the Council across generations while preserving a tradition of collective responsibility for global security.
In addition to Ecuador’s candidacy, the General Assembly also approved unopposed entries from Japan, Malta, Mozambique, and Switzerland within their respective regional groups. These selections reflect a broad consensus among member states about which nations should have a voice in the Security Council during the upcoming period.
Japan received a strong showing with 184 favorable votes, Malta earned 195 votes, Switzerland obtained 187 votes, and Mozambique secured 192 votes in the secret ballot. The voting process requires a two-thirds majority to be elected, a threshold that these nations clearly surpassed, signaling wide support across the international community for their roles on the Council.
With the new members chosen, several states will roll off the Council and another group will step in. India, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico, and Norway are set to assume the non-permanent seats on January 1 of the coming year. The five remaining non-permanent members—Albania, Brazil, Gabon, Ghana, and the United Arab Emirates—will complete their two-year terms, contributing to a rotating chorus of perspectives within the Council’s deliberations.
In the Security Council, the five permanent members—countries that hold veto power—remain the United States, China, Russia, France, and the United Kingdom. Their enduring roles shape the Council’s decisions and influence the course of international diplomacy, while the non-permanent members bring regional insights and diverse policy approaches to critical debates about peace, security, and humanitarian action.