What is next?

Poland has campaigned for the seat since 2009 and now commences the preparation period for fulfilment of its duties as a UNSC member. Past elections to non-permanent UNSC seats were held in October. The change to June met the demands of candidate countries and will make it easier for them to find additional staff to better approximate the human resources of the permanent members and perform their duties at a larger scale. The UNSC works year-round and each member must have a representative available at UN headquarters at all times in case an emergency meeting becomes necessary. The earlier selection also facilitates preparation on issues under consideration by the UNSC over longer periods of time, so beyond the terms of the non-permanent members. This increases continuity.

What will be the composition of the Security Council in 2018?

The Security Council consists of 15 members. In addition to Poland, the new elected members are Equatorial Guinea (first time on the UNSC), Côte d'Ivoire, Kuwait, Peru and the Netherlands (a one-year term in place of Italy). Along with Italy, members whose terms end in 2017 include Egypt, Senegal, Japan, Uruguay and Ukraine. From January 2018, the Council will include the permanent members (China, France, Russia, UK, U.S.), the newly elected members, and those with terms through 2018 (Bolivia, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, the Netherlands, and Sweden). The presidency of the Security Council rotates to each member in alphabetical order (English) and lasts one month. Accordingly, Poland should take the presidency in May 2018.

What do non-permanent members do?

Each member of the UNSC has one vote. The powers of the permanent and non-permanent members are similar, except the former have a veto right permitting them to block a substantive decision of the entire Council. The decisions of the Security Council on procedural matters are adopted by a majority of nine members. Substantial issues require not only a majority but also the unanimity of the permanent members. But for a resolution to stand, the permanent members need at least four additional votes from the elected members to create a majority. This gives Council members the opportunity to propose and promote their own ideas about the world's most important peace and security issues.

What issues is Poland likely to face during its term?

In 2018–2019, in addition to long-standing matters before the international community (e.g., conflicts in the Middle East, North Korea nuclear programme), the UNSC can investigate any situation threatening international peace and security. The conflicts in Syria, Libya and Ukraine have fostered wider problems, such as the mass movement of refugees and the potential for humanitarian disasters and use of weapons of mass destruction. Poland will strive to maintain the international community’s interest in the situation in occupied Crimea and eastern Ukraine. The Netherlands’ membership of the UNSC offers the chance for Poland to cooperate with it on the investigation into the shooting down of Flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in 2015. It is also expected that Poland will maintain its traditional activity on disarmament and non-proliferation issues.