On the first business day of 2026, the United Nations officially admitted five new non-permanent members to the Security Council. Colombia, along with Bahrain, Latvia, Liberia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, officially began their responsibilities following a flag-raising ceremony at the UN headquarters in New York. With this new composition, the body will have to address critical agendas that include the reform of the multilateral system, peace missions in Africa, and tensions in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. The new members are assuming their posts at a time when the international community demands greater effectiveness from the Council in the face of contemporary threats to global stability. The new members will occupy their seats until December 31, 2027, replacing Algeria, Guyana, the Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone, and Slovenia. The Colombian delegation, which is assuming this role for the eighth time in its history, stated through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs that its action will focus on the peaceful settlement of disputes and the defense of international law. The Ambassador of Somalia to the UN, Abukar Dahir Osman, who serves as the rotating President of the Council for the month of January, welcomed the new members, highlighting that their voices will be "essential for guiding the collective search for peace and security" in a global context marked by growing challenges. The Security Council, composed of 15 nations, maintains its structure of five permanent members with veto power and ten non-permanent members that are renewed by halves each year.
