BREAKING: Egypt wins 2016/17 UNSC non-permanent seat

By THE CAIRO POST

BREAKING: Egypt wins 2016/17 UNSC non-permanent seat President

CAIRO: Egypt was officially elected to occupy the United Nations Security Council non-permanent seat of North Africa for 2016-2017, garnering 179 out of 193 votes of the UNGA member states in a Thursday election; it was the only candidate in its regional block.

Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry stated Wednesday that his country’s tenure and actions will be governed by “a set of principles” in the council to preserve support for Africa and to affirm African sovereignty and regional integrity.

Shoukry’s remarks came during his meeting with the permanent representatives of the African Bloc countries in the UN to gain more support to Egypt’s membership at New Yor

Egypt was nominated in 2013 for the North Africa Seat, while Senegal has nominated for the second seat of African group.

In NYC Shoukry also met with Senegal counterpart Mankeur Ndiaye, discussing the significance of dealing the African crisis and issues of as health challenges, endemic diseases and epidemicsat the 15-member council in the coming period.

In April, representatives from the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (GRULAC) expressed their full support for Egypt’s candidacy. In January, the African Union officially endorsed its support to Egypt for the seat.

Egypt has previously held the non-permanent membership of the UNSC four times since the organization was founded in 1945.

The UNGA annually elects five countries for the non-permanent membership for the UNCS for two-year term. The five non-permanent countries elected in 2014 are Chad, Nigeria, Jordan, Lithuania, and Chile, according to the official website of the U.N.

The five permanent member states include China, France, Russia, Britain, and the United States.