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U.N. member nations elected five countries to join the powerful U.N. Security Council today with no suspense or drama because all were unopposed — Ecuador, Japan, Malta, Mozambique and Switzerland.
Winning a seat on the 15-member Security Council is considered a pinnacle of achievement for many countries because it gives them a strong voice on issues of international peace and security.
Today, the war in Ukraine is at the top of the list. Although Russia’s veto power has prevented the council from taking action, it has held numerous meetings since Moscow’s Feb. 24 invasion that have seen contentious exchanges between top diplomats from both countries and their supporters.
But many other conflicts are also on its agenda from Syria and Yemen to Mali and Myanmar as well as international security issues from the nuclear threat posed by North Korea and Iran, and attacks by extremist groups such as the Islamic State and al-Qaida.
The results of the secret ballot vote in the 193-member General Assembly were Ecuador 190, Japan 184, Malta 185, Mozambique 192, and Switzerland 187.
Even if a country is running unopposed, it must obtain the votes of two-thirds of the member states that voted in order to win a seat on the council.
The five new council members will start their terms on Jan. 1, replacing five countries whose two-year terms end on Dec. 31 — India, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico and Norway.
They will join the five veto-wielding permanent members of the council — the United States, Russia, China, United Kingdom and France — and the five countries elected last year: Albania, Brazil, Gabon, Ghana and United Arab Emirates.
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Japan mulls resuming tourism discount
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Japan’s government is considering resuming a national travel discount campaign as soon as late this month to help the tourism industry recover from a Covid-19 slump, the Nikkei newspaper said on Saturday.
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NHK – May 31
Lawmakers in Japan have enacted a supplementary budget worth 2.7 trillion yen, or roughly 21 billion dollars, to address fuel prices that have surged since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Japan govt drops timeframe for budget balancing target
kitco.com – May 31
Japan’s government made no mention of a timeframe for balancing the primary budget in its draft mid-year annual long-term economic policy roadmap, two government sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.
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Nikkei – May 28
The Japanese government plans to allow exports of fighter jets, missiles and other arms to 12 countries, including India, Australia as well as some European and Southeast Asian nations, Nikkei has learned. Regulatory changes to allow for the exports could come by next March.
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