Since
1966, the
UN Security Council has included 10 elected (non-permanent) members. To ensure geographical equality, a certain number of members is allocated for each of the five UN unofficial regional groupings:
[1]
★
African Group: 3 members
★
Asian Group: 2 members
★
Latin American and
Caribbean Group (GRULAC): 2 members
★
Western European and Others Group (WEOG): 2 members; at least one of these must be from
Western Europe
★
Eastern European Group (CEIT, or Countries with Economies in Transition): 1 member
In addition, one of the non-permanent members of the council is an
Arab country, alternately from the African or Asian groups. It should be noted that the allocation of Security Council members is unofficial and therefore subject to change.
Each year the
UN General Assembly elects five new members for a two-year term.
Reelection is allowed, but the term must not be consecutive. For terms starting in odd years, one member from Africa, one from Asia, one from Latin America, and the two members from the Western Europe and Others Group are elected. For even years, the elected members are two from Africa, one from Asia, one from Latin America, and the one Eastern European member. The Arab member is also elected for even years as one of the members from Africa or Asia, alternately.
From
1946 to
1965, the security council included six non-permanent members. The regional grouping at that time was:
★
Latin America: 2 members
★
Commonwealth of Nations: 1 member
★
Eastern Europe: 1 member
★
Middle East: 1 member
★
Western Europe: 1 member
There were some exceptions to this grouping:
Liberia took the place of a Western European country in
1961; the
Ivory Coast substituted a member of the Commonwealth in
1964-
1965; and the Eastern Europe group included Asian countries from
1956 on.
By May 2007, seven countries had announced themselves as candidates for the five non-permanent seats on the Security Council for the 2008-2009 term.
Vietnam, the most populous country that has never yet served on the Council, is running for the Asian seat.
Burkina Faso (last served in 1985) and
Libya (last served in 1977) are running for the two African seats. All three countries have received endorsements from their regional groupings. In addition,
Costa Rica (last served in 1998) and the
Dominican Republic (one of the few UN Charter members which has never served) are competing for the one Latin American seat at stake. The
Czech Republic (last served in 1995) and
Croatia (never served) are competing for the Eastern European seat.
Austria,
Iceland and
Turkey have already announced their intention to compete for the two WEOG seats for the 2009-2010 term.
List by year
Elected members of the
UN Security Council:
★
2007:
Belgium,
Republic of the Congo,
Ghana,
Indonesia,
Italy,
Panama,
Peru,
Qatar,
Slovakia,
South Africa
::(see
2006 United Nations Security Council election)
★
2006:
Argentina,
Republic of the Congo,
Denmark,
Ghana,
Greece,
Japan,
Peru,
Qatar,
Slovakia,
Tanzania
★
2005:
Algeria,
Argentina,
Benin,
Brazil,
Denmark,
Greece,
Japan,
Philippines,
Romania,
Tanzania
★
2004:
Algeria,
Angola,
Benin,
Brazil,
Chile,
Germany,
Pakistan,
Philippines,
Romania,
Spain
★
2003:
Angola,
Bulgaria,
Cameroon,
Chile,
Germany,
Guinea,
Mexico,
Pakistan,
Spain,
Syria
★
2002:
Bulgaria,
Cameroon,
Colombia,
Guinea,
Ireland,
Mauritius,
Mexico,
Norway,
Singapore,
Syria
★
2001:
Bangladesh,
Colombia,
Ireland,
Jamaica,
Mali,
Mauritius,
Norway,
Singapore,
Tunisia,
Ukraine
★
2000:
Argentina,
Bangladesh,
Canada,
Jamaica,
Malaysia,
Mali,
Namibia,
Netherlands,
Tunisia,
Ukraine
★
1999:
Argentina,
Bahrain,
Brazil,
Canada,
Gabon,
Gambia,
Malaysia,
Namibia,
Netherlands,
Slovenia
★
1998:
Bahrain,
Brazil,
Costa Rica,
Gabon,
Gambia,
Japan,
Kenya,
Portugal,
Slovenia,
Sweden
★
1997:
Chile,
Costa Rica,
Egypt,
Guinea-Bissau,
Japan,
Kenya,
Poland,
Portugal,
Republic of Korea,
Sweden
★
1996:
Botswana,
Chile,
Egypt,
Germany,
Guinea-Bissau,
Honduras,
Indonesia,
Italy,
Poland,
Republic of Korea
★
1995:
Argentina,
Botswana,
Czech Republic,
Germany,
Honduras,
Indonesia,
Italy,
Nigeria,
Oman,
Rwanda
★
1994:
Argentina,
Brazil,
Czech Republic,
Djibouti,
New Zealand,
Nigeria,
Oman,
Pakistan,
Rwanda,
Spain
★
1993:
Brazil,
Cape Verde,
Djibouti,
Hungary,
Japan,
Morocco,
New Zealand,
Pakistan,
Spain,
Venezuela
★
1992:
Austria,
Belgium,
Cape Verde,
Hungary,
Ecuador,
India,
Japan,
Morocco,
Venezuela,
Zimbabwe
★
1991:
Austria,
Belgium,
Côte d'Ivoire,
Cuba,
Ecuador,
India,
Romania,
Yemen,
Zaire,
Zimbabwe
★
1990:
Canada,
Colombia,
Côte d'Ivoire,
Cuba,
Ethiopia,
Finland,
Malaysia,
Romania,
Yemen,
Zaire
★
1989:
Algeria,
Brazil,
Canada,
Colombia,
Ethiopia,
Finland,
Malaysia,
Nepal,
Senegal,
Yugoslavia
★
1988:
Algeria,
Argentina,
Brazil,
Nepal,
West Germany,
Italy,
Japan,
Senegal,
Yugoslavia,
Zambia
★
1987:
Argentina,
Bulgaria,
Congo,
West Germany,
Ghana,
Italy,
Japan,
United Arab Emirates,
Venezuela,
Zambia
★
1986:
Australia,
Bulgaria,
Congo,
Denmark,
Ghana,
Madagascar,
Thailand,
Trinidad and Tobago,
United Arab Emirates,
Venezuela
★
1985:
Australia,
Burkina Faso,
Denmark,
Egypt,
India,
Madagascar,
Peru,
Thailand,
Trinidad and Tobago,
Ukrainian SSR
★
1984:
Burkina Faso,
Egypt,
India,
Malta,
Netherlands,
Nicaragua,
Pakistan,
Peru,
Ukrainian SSR,
Zimbabwe
★
1983:
Guyana,
Jordan,
Malta,
Netherlands,
Nicaragua,
Pakistan,
Poland,
Togo,
Zaire,
Zimbabwe
★
1982:
Guyana,
Ireland,
Japan,
Jordan,
Panama,
Poland,
Spain,
Togo,
Uganda,
Zaire
★
1981:
German Democratic Republic,
Ireland,
Japan,
Mexico,
Niger,
Panama,
Philippines,
Spain,
Tunisia,
Uganda
★
1980:
Bangladesh,
German Democratic Republic,
Jamaica,
Mexico,
Niger,
Norway,
Philippines,
Portugal,
Tunisia,
Zambia
★
1979:
Bangladesh,
Bolivia,
Czechoslovakia,
Gabon,
Jamaica,
Kuwait,
Nigeria,
Norway,
Portugal,
Zambia
★
1978:
Bolivia,
Canada,
Czechoslovakia,
Gabon,
West Germany,
India,
Kuwait,
Mauritania,
Nigeria,
Venezuela
★
1977:
Benin,
Canada,
West Germany,
India,
Libya,
Mauritania,
Pakistan,
Panama,
Romania,
Venezuela
★
1976:
Benin,
Guyana,
Italy,
Japan,
Libya,
Pakistan,
Panama,
Romania,
Sweden,
Tanzania
★
1975:
Byelorussian SSR,
Cameroon,
Costa Rica,
Guyana,
Italy,
Iraq,
Japan,
Mauritania,
Sweden,
Tanzania
★
1974:
Australia,
Austria,
Byelorussian SSR,
Cameroon,
Costa Rica,
Indonesia,
Iraq,
Kenya,
Mauritania,
Peru
★
1973:
Australia,
Austria,
Guinea,
India,
Indonesia,
Kenya,
Panama,
Peru,
Sudan,
Yugoslavia
★
1972:
Argentina,
Belgium,
Guinea,
India,
Italy,
Japan,
Panama,
Somalia,
Sudan,
Yugoslavia
★
1971:
Argentina,
Belgium,
Burundi,
Italy,
Japan,
Nicaragua,
Poland,
Sierra Leone,
Somalia,
Syria
★
1970:
Burundi,
Colombia,
Finland,
Nepal,
Nicaragua,
Poland,
Sierra Leone,
Spain,
Syria,
Zambia
★
1969:
Algeria,
Colombia,
Finland,
Hungary,
Nepal,
Pakistan,
Paraguay,
Senegal,
Spain,
Zambia
★
1968:
Algeria,
Brazil,
Canada,
Denmark,
Ethiopia,
Hungary,
India,
Pakistan,
Paraguay,
Senegal
★
1967:
Argentina,
Brazil,
Bulgaria,
Canada,
Denmark,
Ethiopia,
India,
Japan,
Mali,
Nigeria
★
1966:
Argentina,
Bulgaria,
Japan,
Jordan,
Mali,
Netherlands,
New Zealand,
Nigeria,
Uganda,
Uruguay
★
1965:
Bolivia,
Côte d'Ivoire,
Jordan,
Malaysia,
Netherlands,
Uruguay
★
1964:
Bolivia,
Brazil,
Côte d'Ivoire,
Czechoslovakia,
Morocco,
Norway
★
1963:
Brazil,
Ghana,
Morocco,
Norway,
Philippines,
Venezuela
★
1962:
Chile,
Ghana,
Ireland,
Venezuela,
Romania,
United Arab Republic
★
1961:
Ceylon,
Chile,
Ecuador,
Liberia,
Turkey,
United Arab Republic
★
1960:
Argentina,
Ceylon,
Ecuador,
Italy,
Tunisia,
Poland
★
1959:
Argentina,
Canada,
Italy,
Japan,
Panama,
Tunisia
★
1958:
Canada,
Colombia,
Japan,
Panama,
Sweden
★
1957:
Australia,
Colombia,
Cuba,
Iraq,
Philippines,
Sweden
★
1956:
Australia,
Belgium,
Cuba,
Iraq,
Iran,
Peru,
Yugoslavia
★
1955:
Belgium,
Brazil,
Iran,
New Zealand,
Peru,
Turkey
★
1954:
Brazil,
Colombia,
Denmark,
Lebanon,
New Zealand,
Turkey
★
1953:
Chile,
Colombia,
Denmark,
Greece,
Lebanon,
Pakistan
★
1952:
Brazil,
Chile,
Greece,
Netherlands,
Pakistan,
Turkey
★
1951:
Brazil,
Ecuador,
India,
Netherlands,
Turkey,
Yugoslavia
★
1950:
Cuba,
Ecuador,
Egypt,
India,
Norway,
Yugoslavia
★
1949:
Argentina,
Canada,
Cuba,
Egypt,
Norway,
Ukrainian SSR
★
1948:
Argentina,
Belgium,
Canada,
Colombia,
Syria,
Ukrainian SSR
★
1947:
Australia,
Brazil,
Belgium,
Colombia,
Poland,
Syria
★
1946:
Australia,
Brazil,
Egypt,
Mexico,
Netherlands,
Poland
Scoretable

A map showing the number of times countries have been elected to the UN Security council.
''Years on the Security Council, as of 2006'' :
★
★ Includes 2007 Security Council Memberships