Egypt to head Security Council for 3rd time in 2 years

CAIRO – 31 July 2017: Egypt will head the Security Council starting from August. This is Egypt’s third presidency of the U.N. Security Council since it was elected a non-permanent member state in January 2016 for two years.

Egypt’s representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Amr Abul Atta, told Al-Akhbar newspaper that Egypt and other member states would focus on combating terrorism after it has spread globally on a large scale.

“Egypt will hold a briefing session about discussing the cooperation between the United Nations and the Arab League on August 25,” Abul Atta added to the national newspaper on Monday.

Egypt has chaired the council for three times in only two years. Egypt won a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council on October 15, 2015 for the 2016- 2017 term after getting 179 votes.

Egypt was elected as a non-permanent Security Council member in 1949-1950, 1961-1962, 1984-1985, and 1996-1997.

The 15-member council includes five permanent members: Russia, the U.S., China, France and the UK.

The UN Security Council is tasked with maintaining peace and security worldwide, and it has the power to authorize military action, impose sanctions and establish peacekeeping operations.