Fri Jan 03 03:46:55 UTC 2025: ## Five New Nations Join UN Security Council

**NEW YORK** – Five new nations – Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama, and Somalia – officially assumed their non-permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council on January 1st, 2025. A flag-raising ceremony at UN headquarters marked the start of their two-year terms, replacing Ecuador, Japan, Malta, Mozambique, and Switzerland.

Kazakh UN Ambassador Kairat Umarov, presiding over the ceremony, welcomed the new members and wished them success. Algerian Ambassador Amar Bendjama, the council’s January president, thanked the outgoing members and emphasized the immense responsibility of serving on the council, urging collective action to address global challenges and uphold multilateralism. The new members each gave brief speeches before raising their national flags outside the Security Council chamber.

The UN Security Council consists of five permanent members (Britain, China, France, Russia, and the United States) and ten rotating non-permanent members. Five non-permanent members are elected annually by the UN General Assembly for two-year terms.

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