On 17th June 2020, the outgoing President of the United Nations General Assembly, His Excellency Tijjani Muhammed-Bande, announced the election results of the President of the General Assembly, non-Permanent members of the Security Council and members of the of the Economic and Social Council.
The elections were held simultaneously in the United Nations Headquarters, New York, General Assembly hall – entitled “Procedure for holding elections by secret ballot without a plenary meeting during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic”.
UN75 President
UN75 President – His Excellency Volkan Bozkir
Turkish Diplomat, Hon. Volkan Bozkir, was elected as the President of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly on June 17th, 2020. He was the sole candidate for the post, nominated by the government of the Republic of Turkey – receiving 178 ballots. Hon. Bozkir is expected to take office on 15th September 2020 for a period of one year.
“I am thankful to all UN member states, for electing me with an overwhelming majority, as the President of the 75th UN General Assembly,” Bozkır said on Twitter. “As we mark the 75th anniversary of the UN, I will guide the efforts to contribute to international peace, in the challenging times we live in.”
Source: Daily Sabah https://www.dailysabah.com/politics/diplomacy/diplomat-volkan-bozkir-becomes-1st-turkish-citizen-to-be-elected-unga-president
Iconic horse shoe table of the United Nations Security Council.
Kenya wins a non-permanent seat in the Security Council
On 18th of June 2020, the Republic of Kenya won a non-permanent seat in the Security Council. This happened during the second round of voting in the General Assembly where the country received 67 more votes than its competitor, Djibouti. Kenya will begin the 2-year tenure in January 2021, joining fellow elected members India, Ireland, Mexico, and Norway.
Endorsing the country as its flag bearer was the African Union – which Kenya thanked for this opportunity. The Republic of Kenya will now be able to contribute to the Security Council’s primary responsibility under the UN Charter – maintaining peace and security worldwide.
Tanzania supported Kenya in securing a seat at the security council through campaigning and voting for the fellow East African country, in both rounds. Furthermore, Kenya acknowledges Tanzania’s support throughout the process and especially during the second round of voting.
United Nations Economic and Social Council Chamber
Zimbabwe elected to key United Nations body
On the 17th of June, ZIMBABWE was elected to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) cluster for a 3-year term that will begin on 1 January 2021.
The outgoing president of the UN General Assembly, His Excellency Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, announced the results after voting by secret ballot in the assembly on Wednesday.
Obtaining a position in the ECOSOC Council means that Zimbabwe will be able to participate in the everyday management of specified UN agencies, bodies, and commissions that fall under ECOSOC’s oversight purview – which extends to over 70 per cent of the human and financial resources of the entire UN system.
The other African countries that were elected to join the ECOSOC Council are Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, and Nigeria.
