MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines on Wednesday, June 3, (Thursday, June 4, Manila time) lost its bid for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UN SC) after rival Kyrgyzstan garnered 142 votes after four rounds of secret balloting.

The Philippines, at the end of four rounds, received only 49 votes.

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Only the Philippines and Kyrgyzstan were vying for the sole vacant seat for the Asia-Pacific region. To win a seat, a member state must secure at least two-thirds of the votes from those present during the session. The two-thirds majority during the fourth round was 128 votes.

In a statement released soon after voting concluded, Philippine Foreign Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro said the Philippines “respects the decision of the member states of the United Nations and extends its congratulations to the Kyrgyz Republic.”

“We thank the international community for the support and goodwill extended to the Philippines throughout our candidacy. Our campaign was anchored on our longstanding commitment to peace, dialogue, international law, and cooperation among nations. These remain principles that the Philippines will continue to uphold and advance in the global community,” she said.

The Filipino diplomat added, “The Philippines remains committed to working with all nations in pursuing peace, stability, sustainable development, and a rules-based international order.”

This is the first time that the Philippines has lost a bid for the UN SC.

This is also the first time Kyrgyzstan will sit on the council. Bishkek’s term will begin on January 1, 2027, and end on December 31, 2028. 

The UN SC is considered the most powerful body in the UN, tasked with upholding “international peace and security in accordance with the principles and purposes of the United Nations.”

If the UN General Assembly is where member states make statements, the UN SC is where those sentiments are turned into action.

Analysts and UN observers had seen the race between the two countries as a showdown between Southeast Asia and Central Asia. More cynically, the two were seen as Asian countries on different sides of superpower competition — the Philippines a treaty ally of the United States, while Kyrgyzstan has close trade and security ties with China.

Both the United States and China are permanent members of the UN SC alongside Russia, the United Kingdom, and France. Permanent members, or the P5, have veto power on the council — meaning, they can singlehandedly block any resolution. 

Ten other seats are reserved for non-permanent members who represent the traditional regional groupings within the UN. 

The veto power, among other things, has been a point of strong criticism against the UN SC. UN member states, including the Philippines and Kyrgyzstan, have advocated for reform to the powerful UN SC. 

Manila, for instance, has called for African representation in the P5, as well as limits to the veto power. Kyrgyzstan has called for expanded representation from Asia, Africa, and Latin America in the UN SC. – Rappler.com