Italy, Netherlands to share terms on UN Security Council 2017

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The General Assembly elected Sweden, Kazakhstan, Ethiopia and Bolivia on Tuesday to replace Angola, Malaysia, New Zealand, Spain and Venezuela on the council beginning on Jan. 1, 2017. But the Netherlands and Italy were tied with 95 votes each.

UN spokesman Farhan Haq said there had been previous cases of countries sharing terms on the Security Council, citing five occasions in the 1950s and 1960s. “It’s less than ideal,” said a senior UN diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity. “Broadly speaking, non-permanent members perform more strongly in their second year.”

Countries need more than two-thirds of the vote to win a seat. Italy was elected with 179 in favor.The council is made up of 10 elected members – five voted on each year and five permanent veto-powers: the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia. The council is the only UN body that can make legally binding decisions and has the power to impose sanctions and authorize the use of force.