The UN General Assembly elected Japan, Switzerland, Mozambique, Malta and Ecuador as five non-permanent members of the Security Council for the period 2023-2024.

Japan’s Deputy Foreign Minister, who received 184 votes out of 193 members of the General Assembly, Odawara Kiyoshi emphasized that “we will do our best with the other members of the Council so that it can work effectively”, explaining that “Japan’s priority during its tenure on the Council is security, it will be “security, including energy and food,” two sectors that are experiencing a major global crisis exacerbated by the Russian-Ukrainian war, according to the UN.

For its part, Swiss President and Foreign Minister Ignacio Cassis confirmed: “We in the Council want to contribute to the Swiss experience for world peace, protect our interests and values ​​and contribute as a neutral country to the search for compromises. He noted: “Through our humanitarian tradition and our good offices in the world, we believe we can contribute to finding solutions.”

Switzerland received 187 votes in the elections, which were held by secret ballot.

Notably, the UN Security Council consists of 15 members, five of which are permanent (US, Russia, China, France and the UK), and ten countries elected for two-year terms, half of which are renewed every year.