Italy, the Netherlands to share 2-yr term on UNSC

Sending a message of unity post-Brexit, Italy and the Netherlands have agreed to share a two-year term on the UN Security Council for a non-permanent seat after five rounds of balloting failed to break a deadlock in the General Assembly.
The 193 members of the UN General Assembly yesterday elected Sweden, Bolivia, Ethiopia and Kazakhstan to serve on the world body's Security Council for a period of two years, starting from January 1, 2017.
Ethiopia got 185 votes, while Bolivia got 183, Sweden garnered 134 votes and Kazakhstan 138.
In a highly-contested campaign, Italy and the Netherlands were vying for a seat on the 15-member UNSC in the Western Europe category. However after five rounds of voting, neither Italy nor the Netherlands met the required two-thirds majority for election and as a result, they announced a proposal whereby they would divide the term, with each serving one year on the Council.

In the first round of voting, the Netherlands had got 99 votes while Italy got 92. After the fifth round of voting, the two countries were tied, having garnered 95 votes each, less than the 127 required majority.
In announcing the proposal - requiring endorsement by the Western European and Other States Group, Foreign Minister of the Netherlands Bert Koenders said Italy would serve from 2017 to 2018, with his own country serving out the balance from 2018 to 2019. Italy's Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said that by that proposal, his country and the Netherlands hoped to send a message of unity between two European States.

The newly elected non-permanent members will fill seats to be vacated on December 31 by Angola, Malaysia, New Zealand, Spain and Venezuela.
Egypt, Japan, Senegal, Ukraine and Uruguay will remain elected Council members during 2017, completing the second year of their respective terms at the end of that year.