The General Assembly on Wednesday elected a new slate of members to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the principal body responsible for coordinating the Organizations work on sustainable development and economic issues.

Bahrain, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Latvia, and Liberia were elected on Tuesday to serve as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council, with two-year terms beginning in January 2026.

Former German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock was elected President of the General Assemblys 80th session on Monday. Her appointment comes as the regional group that includes Western Europe takes its turn at the helm of the world body.

Croatia, Russia and Ukraine secured seats from the Eastern European regional group, which had three available seats. Russia was elected in a runoff against Belarus, as both nations failed to secure the required two-thirds majority in the first round of vote. North Macedonia, the fifth candidate from the group, did not meet the two-thirds threshold and did not advance.

Germany and the United States were also elected in a by-electionto replace Liechtenstein and Italy, who relinquished their seats. Their terms will run through 2026 and 2027, respectively.

Other countries elected to ECOSOC for three year terms include Australia, Burundi, Chad, China, Ecuador, Finland, India, Lebanon, Mozambique, Norway, Peru, Sierra Leone, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Trkiye, and Turkmenistan.

The terms of all new members will begin on 1 January 2026.

Geographic representation

ECOSOC membership is allocated based on equitable geographical representation across five regional groups: African States, Asia-Pacific States, Eastern European States, Latin American and Caribbean States, and Western European and other States.

ECOSOC is one of the six main organs of the United Nations and consists of 54 Member States elected for overlapping three-year terms. It plays a central role in advancing the international development agenda and fostering international cooperation across economic, social, and environmental spheres.

The General Assembly, comprising all 193 UN Member States, elects ECOSOC members annually by secret ballot.