Nigeria ends 5th tenure at UN Security Council

Nigeria has ended her fifth tenure as a non-permanent representative at the United Nations Security Council.

The tenure was for two years.

Nigeria was first elected as a non-permanent representative for a two-year period from 1966 to 1967 and subsequently from 1978 to 1979, 1994 to 1979, 2010 to 2011 and 2013 to 2015.

Other countries that also ended their tenures in December 2015 alongside Nigeria were Chile, Jordan, Lithuania and Chad.

The new members to replace these countries are Japan, Egypt, Ukraine, Senegal and Uruguay.

Nigeria’s last election to the UNSC was on Oct. 16, 2013.

The Security Council is one of the six principal organs of the UN and it is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security.

Its powers include the establishment of peace-keeping operations, the imposition of international sanctions and the authorisation of military action through Security Council resolutions.

With 15 members comprising five permanent and 10 non-permanent members, the Security Council is the only UN body with the authority to issue binding resolutions to member-states.

The five permanent members are Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China and the United States.

The permanent members can veto any substantive Security Council resolution, including those on the admission of new member-states or candidates for Secretary-General.

The body’s presidency rotates monthly among its members.