Pakistan has been elected as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the term 2025-2026, receiving an overwhelming 182 votes in the elections held by the UN General Assembly in New York on Thursday, the foreign office said in a statement.

The Security Council is the only UN body that can make legally binding decisions such as imposing sanctions and authorising use of force.

It has five permanent veto-wielding members: Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States.

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The remaining 10 members are elected, with five new members joining every year. Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama, and Somalia - who were all elected in uncontested slates – will replace Ecuador, Japan, Malta, Switzerland and Mozambique.

To ensure geographical representation, seats are allocated to regional groups. But even if candidates are running unopposed in their group, they still need to win the support of more than two-thirds of the General Assembly.

Denmark received 184 votes, Greece 182, Pakistan 182, Panama 183, and Somalia 179 votes.

“Elected for the 8th time as a non-permanent member, Pakistan looks forward to working closely with the other members of the UN Security Council and with the broader UN Membership for upholding UN Charter and pursuing the vision of preventing war and promoting peace; fostering International cooperation for global prosperity and promoting universal respect for human rights,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in its statement on X, formerly Twitter.

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Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif termed the development a proud moment for the country as it received overwhelming 182 votes.

“Proud moment as Pakistan receives a resounding 182 votes and is elected to the United Nations Security Council for the term 2025-26,” he said in a post shared on X.

“Our election to the Council with such overwhelming support of UN member states at this critical time bears testament to the international community’s confidence in Pakistan’s diplomatic standing as well as to our commitment to global peace & security.

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“We look forward to working with the international community to address pressing global challenges. We will continue to play our role in promoting peace, stability, and cooperation among nations,” the prime minister was quoted as saying in the post.