Sixty-sixth General Assembly

Plenary

39^th & 40^thMeetings (AM & PM)

General Assembly Elects 18 Members to Economic and Social Council

 

Azerbaijan Elected as Member of Security Council

After Slovenia Drops Bid, Ending 16‑Round, Two-Day Voting Deadlock

The General Assembly today elected 18 members of the Economic and Social Council to serve three-year terms beginning 1 January 2012.

Those elected today were:  Belarus, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Ethiopia, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan Lesotho, Libya, Nigeria, Spain and Turkey.

The 18 outgoing members were Côte d’Ivoire, Estonia, France, Germany, Guatemala, Guinea‑Bissau, India, Japan, Malta, Mauritius, Morocco, Namibia, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Switzerland and Venezuela.

The new members were elected according to the following pattern:  five from African States, three from Asian‑Pacific States, one from Eastern European States, four from Latin American and Caribbean States and five from Western European and other States.

Ahead of that action, the Assembly, in a by‑election, decided that the Netherlands and Switzerland would fill the remaining terms of office of Belgium and Norway, respectively, which expired at year‑end, per that Group’s rotation scheme.  The Netherlands’ term would begin on 1 January 2012 and end on 31 December 2012.  Switzerland’s term would begin on 1 January 2012 and end on 31 December 2013.  The Assembly also elected Bulgaria to fill Hungary’s unexpired term of office on the Economic and Social Council in the Eastern European States Group, which would begin on 1 January 2012 and end 31 December 2013.

As of 1 January 2012, the remaining States making up the 54‑member body will be:  Argentina, Australia, the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Comoros, Ecuador, Egypt, Finland, Gabon, Ghana, Iraq, Italy, Latvia, Malawi, Mexico, Mongolia, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Pakistan, the Philippines, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Senegal, Slovakia, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and United States of America and Zambia.

In other business today, the General Assembly elected Azerbaijan as the fifth and final non‑permanent member to the Security Council in balloting carried over from 21 October, when a marathon nine voting rounds had failed to produce a winner for the one vacant seat allocated to the Eastern European States.  (See Press Release GA/11160.)

Today, Slovenia broke the deadlock by withdrawing its candidature after the sixteenth balloting round, allowing Azerbaijan to be voted in with 155 votes in favour — of a total 193 ballots cast — with 24 abstentions and a required majority of 113 votes.  Azerbaijan’s two‑year term on the Council begins on 1 January 2012.  It joins Guatemala, Morocco, Pakistan and Togo, which were elected on 21 October for the same term of office

Speaking after the sixteenth voting round, Slovenia’s delegate said his country had entered the race for non‑permanent Council membership 11 years ago, believing it was “a good fit for the Security Council of today”.  Its campaign had always been about Slovenia’s values and never about running against another country.  However, his Government did not approve of the way in which the elections had been.  As he withdrew Slovenia’s candidacy, he thanked all countries that had shown their support.

The General Assembly will reconvene at 10 a.m. Tuesday 25 October to discuss the necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States against Cuba.

Economic and Social Council Elections

Ahead of general elections for the Economic and Social Council, the Assembly President drew attention to a letter from the representative of the Russian Federation, (document A/66/496), in his capacity as Chair of the Group of Eastern European States for the month of October 2011, informing the Assembly that Hungary, according to an internal agreement with Bulgaria, would relinquish its seat on the Council for the remainder of its term (2012‑2013) in favour of Bulgaria as of 31 December 2011.

He also drew attention to a letter from Monaco’s representative, in her capacity as Chair of the Group of Western European and Other States, (document A/66/495), which announced that, per the Group’s rotation scheme, two Council members — Belgium and Norway — would relinquish part of their terms on 1 January 2012.

Voting Results for By‑Election

Eastern and European States
Number of ballot papers:	189
Number of invalid ballots:	2
Number of valid ballots:	187
Abstentions:	11
Number of Members present and voting:	176
Required majority:	118
Number of votes obtained by country:
Bulgaria	150
Belarus	24
Hungary	2
Western and European and Other States
Number of ballot papers:	189
Number of invalid ballots:	1
Number of valid ballots:	188
Abstentions:	8
Number of Members present and voting:	180
Required majority:	120
Number of votes obtained by country:
Switzerland	161
Netherlands	159
France	13
Germany	9
Turkey	4
Belgium	2
Ireland	2
Spain	2
Malta	1
Norway	1
Sweden	1

Having obtained the required majority, Bulgaria, Netherlands and Switzerland were elected members of the Economic and Social Council for a term of office beginning on 1 January 2012 and ending on 31 December 2012 in the case of the Netherlands, and ending on 31 December 2013 for Bulgaria and Switzerland.

Voting Results for General Elections

African States (5 Seats)
Number of ballot papers:	193
Number of invalid ballots:	0
Number of valid ballots:	193
Abstentions:	0
Number of Members present and voting:	193
Required majority:	129
Number of votes obtained by country:
Burkina Faso	193
Ethiopia	189
Lesotho	189
Nigeria	188
Libya	177
Asian States (3 Seats)
Number of ballot papers:	193
Number of invalid ballots:	0
Number of valid ballots:	193
Abstentions:	0
Number of Members present and voting:	193
Required majority:	129
Number of votes obtained by country:
Indonesia	191
India	189
Japan	186
Afghanistan	1
Eastern European States (1 Seat)
Number of ballot papers:	193
Number of invalid ballots:	3
Number of valid ballots:	190
Abstentions:	18
Number of Members present and voting:	172
Required majority:	115
Number of votes obtained by country:
Belarus	172
Latin American and Caribbean States (4 Seats)
Number of ballot papers:	193
Number of invalid ballots:	1
Number of valid ballots:	192
Abstentions:	1
Number of Members present and voting:	191
Required two‑thirds majority:	128
Number of votes obtained by country:
Dominican Republic	188
El Salvador	187
Brazil	186
Cuba	183
Western European and Other States (5 Seats)
Number of ballot papers:	193
Number of invalid ballots:	0
Number of valid ballots:	193
Abstentions:	2
Number of Members present and voting:	191
Required majority:	128
Number of votes obtained by country:
Spain	182
France	181
Germany	181
Ireland	181
Turkey	179
Belgium	1
Norway	1

Having obtained the required two‑thirds majority, the following 18 States were elected members of the Economic and Social Council for a three‑year term beginning on 1 January 2012:  Belarus, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Ethiopia, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Lesotho, Libya, Nigeria, Spain and Turkey.

Tenth Round of Voting (Sixth Restricted)

Eastern European States
Number of ballot papers:	193
Number of invalid ballots:	0
Number of valid ballots:	193
Abstentions:	0
Number of Members present and voting:	193
Required majority:	129
Number of votes obtained by country:
Azerbaijan	110
Slovenia	83

With no country from the Eastern European States having received the required majority, the Assembly held an eleventh ballot.

Eleventh Round of Voting (Fourth Unrestricted)

Eastern European States
Number of ballot papers:	193
Number of invalid ballots:	0
Number of valid ballots:	193
Abstentions:	1
Number of Members present and voting:	192
Required majority:	128
Number of votes obtained by country:
Azerbaijan	110
Slovenia	82

With no country from the Eastern European States having received the required majority, the Assembly held a twelfth ballot.

Twelfth Round of Voting (Fifth Unrestricted)

Eastern European States
Number of ballot papers:	193
Number of invalid ballots:	0
Number of valid ballots:	193
Abstentions:	1
Number of Members present and voting:	192
Required majority:	128
Number of votes obtained by country:
Azerbaijan	111
Slovenia	81

With no country from the Eastern European States having received the required majority, the Assembly held a thirteenth ballot.

Thirteenth Round of Voting (Sixth Unrestricted)

Eastern European States
Number of ballot papers:	192
Number of invalid ballots:	0
Number of valid ballots:	192
Abstentions:	1
Number of Members present and voting:	191
Required majority:	128
Number of votes obtained by country:
Azerbaijan	111
Slovenia	80

With no country from the Eastern European States having received the required majority, the Assembly held a fourteenth ballot.

Fourteenth Round of Voting (Seventh Restricted)

Eastern European States
Number of ballot papers:	192
Number of invalid ballots:	0
Number of valid ballots:	192
Abstentions:	1
Number of Members present and voting:	191
Required majority:	128
Number of votes obtained by country:
Azerbaijan	110
Slovenia	81

With no country from the Eastern European States having received the required majority, the Assembly held a fifteenth ballot.

Fifteenth Round of Voting (Eighth Restricted)

Eastern European States
Number of ballot papers:	193
Number of invalid ballots:	0
Number of valid ballots:	193
Abstentions:	0
Number of Members present and voting:	193
Required majority:	129
Number of votes obtained by country:
Azerbaijan	117
Slovenia	76

With no country from the Eastern European States having received the required majority, the Assembly held a sixteenth ballot.

Sixteenth Round of Voting (Ninth Restricted)

Eastern European States
Number of ballot papers:	193
Number of invalid ballots:	0
Number of valid ballots:	193
Abstentions:	0
Number of Members present and voting:	193
Required majority:	129
Number of votes obtained by country:
Azerbaijan	116
Slovenia	77

Speaking after that round, Slovenia’s delegate said his country had entered the race for non‑permanent Council membership 11 years ago.  “We believe we are a good fit for the Security Council of today”, he said, noting that the campaign had always been about Slovenia’s values and never against another country.  He did not approve of the way in which the elections were being held.  He withdrew Slovenia’s candidacy for the Council, thanking all countries that had shown their support.

Seventeenth Round of Voting (Seventh Unrestricted)

Eastern European States
Number of ballot papers:	193
Number of invalid ballots:	0
Number of valid ballots:	193
Abstentions:	24
Number of Members present and voting:	169
Required majority:	113
Number of votes obtained by country:
Azerbaijan	155
Slovenia	13
Hungary	1

Having obtained the required two‑thirds majority, Azerbaijan was elected to a two‑year term on the Security Council beginning on 1 January 2012.  It joins Guatemala, Morocco, Pakistan and Togo, which were elected to the Council on 21 October for the same terms of office.

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For information media • not an official record