Hiiraan Online
Thursday June 18, 2020
Results of the Non-Permanent Members of the Security Council Elections 2020, seat to be filled by the African States - General Assembly Announcement by the current Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, President of the General Assembly. Screengrab VIA UN WebTV
New York (HOL) - Kenya has secured a seat at the UN Security Council after defeating Djibouti in the second round of voting.
Kenya narrowly won the vote by securing 129 votes, while Djibouti was able to garner 62. It needed 128 votes to win the necessary two-thirds majority.
The two-year term will begin on New Years Day, 2021
The vote was forced into a run-off after Kenya failed to reach the two-thirds majority to win outright. Kenya received 113 votes to Djibouti's 78.
The African Union endorsed Kenya as their candidate for the 2021-22 seat last August. However, Djibouti contested the decision and refused to bow out of the ballot.
On Wednesday, the 57 member Organization of Islamic States (OIC) had rallied support for Djibouti, noting a vote for the Horn of Africa nation was 'an Islamic action'.
The 15-member council is the most powerful of the six UN bodies and can impose sanctions and authorize military action.
In addition to five veto-wielding permanent members, ten non-permanent members of the UN Security Council rotate, with every year another five members getting elected.
Kenya has served twice previously as a member of the council in 1973-74 and again in 1997-98.
Kenya will join India, Ireland, Mexico and Norway who won their bids for the coveted seat on the United Nations yesterday.
Meanwhile, Turkey's Volkan Bozkir was elected the President of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly.