Colombia was elected Tuesday to serve a two-year term on the United Nations Security Council, joining Bahrain, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Latvia, and Liberia as incoming non-permanent members for the 2026–2027 period.
Elected by the 193-member General Assembly, Colombia garnered 180 votes to represent the Latin America and Caribbean regional group, succeeding Guyana. The Security Council is composed of five permanent members — China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States — and ten non-permanent members elected on a rotating basis. Its decisions, which can include sanctions and authorizations for military action, carry binding legal authority.
Colombia has previously served on the Council seven times, most recently from 2011 to 2012. With Tuesday’s vote, Latvia will join the Council for the first time, while the other four elected countries will replace Algeria, Sierra Leone, South Korea, and Slovenia. Candidates must secure a two-thirds majority of votes from the General Assembly, even when running unopposed.
Colombian Foreign Minister Laura Sarabia welcomed the outcome as a reflection of her country’s growing role in international diplomacy. “We celebrate a new victory in the international arena for our country,” she said in a statement, crediting the leadership of President Gustavo Petro.
The newly elected members will begin their terms on Jan. 1, 2026.
In a separate development, the General Assembly on Monday chose former German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock as its next president. A member of the Alliance 90/The Greens party, Baerbock served as Germany’s top diplomat from 2021 to 2025 and was a candidate for chancellor in 2021. She holds a master’s degree in public international law from the London School of Economics. Baerbock will take office in September and becomes the fifth woman to lead the General Assembly since its founding.
