United Nations: Algeria, Guyana, Slovenia, South Korea, and Sierra Leone have assumed their roles as non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
Xinhua news agency reports that the Council for 2024 met for the first time on Tuesday, following the Christmas and New Year holiday break, even though its two-year tenure formally began on Monday.
A flag installation ceremony was held to mark the start of their responsibilities.
The five newly-elected members have replaced the non-permanent members of Albania, Brazil, Gabon, Ghana, and the United Arab Emirates for the 2024-2025 period.
The Permanent Representative of France to the UN, Nicolas de Riviere, who has taken over the presidency of the UNSC for the month of January, welcomed the news members to the Security Council.l, IANS reported.
"Sitting in the Security Council is both an honor and responsibility, especially at a time when regional crises are multiplying, particularly the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Africa.
"We are looking forward to working with you for the two coming years, to implement the mandate of this council, preserving international peace and security, and to defend multilateralism respectful of the values of the UN Charter," the Security Council president said.
Guyana's Permanent Representative to the UN, Carloyn Rodrigues-Birkett, promised the nation will be one of the "leading voices" in the Council to ensure that peace and security are maintained across the world.
The Security Council has 15 members, five of which -- Britain, China, France, Russia, and the US -- are permanent ones.
The 10 non-permanent seats of the UNSC are allocated by geographic region, with five replaced each year.
The Security Council is considered to be the most powerful body of the UN.
The Council, which is tasked to maintain international peace and security, can make legally binding decisions and has the power to impose sanctions and authorise the use of force against states.