New 'faces' in U.N. Security Council

The five states, based on geographical representation, will join the coveted membership of the fifteen-nation-Council of international diplomacy. This year the selection process went smoothly as all five countries were unopposed.

Thus besides the five permanent veto holding Council members; Mainland China, France, Russia, United Kingdom and the United States, the decision making body has ten rotating non-permanent seats. They are chosen by the 192-member General Assembly.

Bosnia will represent the East European group, replacing fellow ex-Yugoslav republic Croatia. Earlier in the year, this seat was going to be contested by Poland, but the Warsaw government dropped out early in the face of Bosnia's strong and determined bid. Bosnia received strong backing from Muslim states and thus proved a strong contender.

Brazil easily won the Latin American seat to replace Costa Rica. Brazil, a regional economic powerhouse and a serious contender for a permanent place at the table if and when the U.N. ever gets around to its long-awaited Security Council expansion, should bring a sense of gravitas to the Council deliberations.

The African group shall see both Nigeria and Gabon replacing Burkina Faso and Libya in a triumph for two regional petroleum producer heavyweights. Nigeria is a heavyweight in the Commonwealth while Gabon is closely linked to the French Francophone community. Balance is achieved.

For the Asian group, Lebanon will replace Vietnam.

The five new members will sit alongside the other non-permanent members who have another year left on the Council; namely; Austria, Japan, Mexico, Turkey and Uganda.

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