PH again seeks seat in UN Security Council
The Philippines is again seeking a nonpermanent seat in the UN Security Council, banking on its record of service and commitment to the United Nations and international law.
The country will be competing with Kyrgyzstan for the sole seat allocated for Asia-Pacific countries in the Security Council for the 2027–2028 term, which begins at the end of the year.
Scheduled to be held during the UN General Assembly session on June 3, the election will fill five nonpermanent seats on the 15-member body tasked with maintaining international peace and security.
Aside from the Philippines and Kyrgyzstan, other nations seeking election are Austria, Germany and Portugal for the Western European and Others Group, Trinidad and Tobago for the Latin American and Caribbean Group and Zimbabwe for the African Group.
Winning candidates must secure a two-thirds majority of member states in a secret ballot, typically requiring support from roughly 120–130 states.
According to Article 23 of the UN Charter, the Security Council is composed of 15 members of the United Nations. It includes five permanent members with veto power—China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States—and 10 nonpermanent members elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms.
Enrique Manalo, the country’s permanent UN representative, has anchored the Philippine candidacy on decades of UN engagement, highlighting its four previous terms in the Security Council and its status as a founding member of the United Nations and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
The Philippines previously served as a nonpermanent Security Council member four times in 1957, 1963, 1980–1981, and 2004–2005.
Reliability
From 1950 to 1953, the Philippines sent an expeditionary force totaling 7,500 peacekeepers to assist UN operations in the Korean peninsula.
The unit took part in the Battle of Miudong, Battle of Yultong and Battle of Hill Eerie, resulting in 299 wounded and 57 missing in action. Later, 41 troops were repatriated as prisoners of war.
In a World Federation of United Nations Associations election debate earlier this month, Manalo said the Philippines was ready to serve as a “reliable partner, an innovative pathfinder and a committed peacemaker,” emphasizing that its approach to multilateralism is “inclusive, principled and grounded in cooperative action.”
Manalo said that aside from upholding the UN Charter and international law, the Philippines would seek to strengthen peacekeeping and peacebuilding efforts, advance the global agenda on women, peace and security and address the intersection of climate change and humanitarian response.
He also pushed for reforms aimed at making the Security Council more transparent and responsive, underscoring what he described as the country’s “experience and proven track record” in global diplomacy.
Kyrgyzstan, meanwhile, said it is seeking to rebalance representation in the UN because it is among 59 UN member states that have never been elected to the Security Council. Kyrgyzstan became an independent nation in 1991.
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov earlier said in a preelection statement that intensifying geopolitical rivalry and rising global conflicts highlight the need for a more “inclusive and equitable” Security Council.
Kyrgyzstan, which used to be part of the defunct Soviet Union, has been trying to promote a global image of neutrality and balance, but it remains a member of Russian-led blocs, like the Collective Security Treaty Organization and the Eurasian Economic Union.
Bishkek, however, has not endorsed Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and has abstained on UN resolutions condemning the invasion, rather than voting with Moscow.
Against bullying
The Philippines, on the other hand, has consistently supported Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity, in line with the principles of the UN Charter and international law.
The Philippines has voted in favor of all six UN General Assembly Emergency Special Session resolutions on Ukraine since the 2022 invasion, including those demanding Russia’s immediate withdrawal and condemning illegal annexations.
The Philippines has been a consistent contributor to UN peacekeeping operations since 1950 and has deployed nearly 14,000 Filipino peacekeepers across 21 UN missions.
About 22 Filipino peacekeepers have died in UN operations, such as in Kosovo, the Golan Heights and Haiti.
In the Congo, the Philippines first deployed in 1963 when the Philippine Air Force’s now-defunct 9th Tactical Fighter Squadron was asked to secure Congolese airspace and help end the civil war.
While the Philippines is still assessed by some diplomatic observers as having a structural advantage due to its prior experience and established UN diplomatic networks, Kyrgyzstan’s expanded campaign has added a more competitive dynamic to the race.
