United Nations

GA/10405
18 October 2005

General Assembly Elects 18 Members to Economic and Social Council for Three-Year Terms Beginning 1 January 2006

NEW YORK, 17 October (UN Headquarters) -- The General Assembly this morning elected 18 members to the United Nations Economic and Social Council to serve for three-year terms beginning on 1 January 2006.

Those elected today were Angola, Austria, Benin, Cuba, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Japan, Madagascar, Mauritania, Paraguay, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sri Lanka and Turkey. 

They will fill the seats vacated on 31 December by Azerbaijan, Benin, Congo, Cuba, Ecuador, France, Germany, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Spain and Turkey. 

As of 1 January 2006, the remaining members of the Council will be Albania, Armenia, Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Belize, Brazil, Canada, Chad, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Italy, Lithuania, Mauritius, Mexico, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Poland, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, South Africa, Thailand, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, and the United States.

The 18 were to be elected according to the following pattern:  five from Africa, three from Asia, one from Eastern Europe, four from Latin America and the Caribbean, and five from Western European and Other States.

All the regional groups had endorsed just enough candidates to fill the available seats, with the exception of the Latin American and Caribbean States, which had endorsed Cuba, Guyana, Haiti, Paraguay and Uruguay for its four available seats on the panel.

The Assembly will reconvene on Thursday, 20 October, to take up "Culture of Peace" and "Global Agenda for Dialogue among Civilizations".

Voting Results

The results of the balloting were, as follows:

The following States received the required two-thirds majority and would become members of the Council:  Angola, Austria, Benin, Cuba, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Japan, Madagascar, Mauritania, Paraguay, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sri Lanka, and Turkey.

* *** *