This archive report was first published on 18 June 2020.
On June 17, 2020, the UN Security Council election saw 192 of the 193 member states cast their ballots, with only Venezuela barred from voting due to its outstanding membership fees.
Kenya secured 113 votes, while Djibouti received 78, leaving Kenya short of the two-thirds majority required to win the seat.
The UN Security Council is the most powerful organ of the UN, responsible for maintaining global peace and security, and its decisions are binding on all member states.
As a non-permanent member, Kenya would join the Council's 10 non-permanent members, who work alongside the permanent five (Russia, China, UK, US, France) to pass resolutions on global peace and security.
Kenya was initially expected to win the seat, thanks to the African Union's endorsement and its own diplomatic networks abroad, but Djibouti's parallel campaigns and rejection of the AU's decision have made the contest more competitive.
India, Mexico, Canada, Ireland, and Norway also contested for non-permanent seats, with India winning its contest for the Asia/Pacific region unopposed.
On Thursday, June 18, 2020, Kenya's diplomats will need to lobby countries worldwide to secure one more vote each to win the seat, or face a further round of voting or even a potential sharing of the seat between Kenya and Djibouti.
