Malta elected to UN Security Council for second time in its history
Malta will serve a two-year term starting next year on the UN Security Council, which is one of the organisation’s highest organs
Malta will sit on the UN Security Council next year after it secured 97% of the vote at the UN General Assembly held in New York today.
Malta will serve a two-year term as a non-permanent member of the council, which is one of the UN’s highest organs.
Honoured to see #Malta elected with a strong vote in the #UNSC. Serving on the Council of @UN provides Malta a significant opportunity to contribute to the maintenance of global peace and security. - RA
— Robert Abela (@RobertAbela_MT) June 9, 2022
Prime Minister Robert Abela said the appointment provides Malta "a significant opportunity to contribute to the maintenance of global peace and security", while Foreign Minister Ian Borg, present in New York, said this was "a historic day" for Malta.
The Security Council has the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. It is made up of 15 members, and each member has one vote. However, five of the members are permanent – the US, Russia, China, UK and France – and hold the right to veto any decisions.
Under the Charter of the United Nations, all member states are obliged to comply with council decisions.
Malta’s first and only election as a member of the Security Council so far was for the period 1983-84.
In today’s vote, Malta received 185 votes from 190 countries, with two abstentions and no invalid votes. It needed 127 votes to secure the nomination.
Malta, Switzerland, Ecuador, Japan and Mozambique were all elected to the Security Council as non-permanent members.
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