Facts about the UN Security Council election
Article | Last updated: 27/09/2018 | Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The UN Security Council has 15 members: five permanent members (China, France, Russia, the UK and the US) and ten non-permanent members, which are elected by the UN General Assembly for a term of two years.
The non-permanent seats are divided between regional groups: three seats for the African Group; two for the Asia-Pacific Group; two for the Latin American and Caribbean Group; two for the Western European and Others Group; and one for the Eastern European Group.
Norway belongs to the Western European and Others Group, which has two non-permanent seats on the Council for the period 2021-2022. Three candidates are competing for these seats (Canada, Ireland and Norway).
The election for the period 2021-2022 will take place during the UN General Assembly in June 2020. All the 193 UN Member States have a vote. The election is held by secret ballot.
Norway has been a member of the Security Council four times in the past: 1949-1950, 1963-1964, 1979-1980 and 2001-2002.