SANF 26 no 5 by SARDC Writer
Zimbabwe has been overwhelmingly elected as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2027-2028 term in a resounding endorsement of its active diplomatic engagement and re-engagement efforts that will benefit the global south agenda.
The vote, which was conducted by secret ballot at the United Nations headquarters in New York on 3 June 2026, marks the third time the southern African nation will sit on the world’s top body responsible for international peace and security since attaining independence in 1980.
Zimbabwe previously served on the Council from 1983-1984 and 1991-1992.
Its return provides a critical window for southern Africa and the wider Global South to assert collective agency in navigating the current geo-political storm.
Under the UN Charter, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is the only UN body with the authority to issue legally binding resolutions, mandate military action and deploy international peacekeeping operations.
Alongside the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), this is a historic first time that two southern African Development Community (SADC) member states are sitting in the 15-member Security Council. The DRC’s term ends in 2027.
The last time when there were two southern African countries together on Security Council was in 1991-1992 term when both Zimbabwe and the then Zaire (now DRC) were members. However, the latter was not a member of SADC at the time and only joined the regional organisation in 1998.
The presence of both the DRC and Zimbabwe this time around means that SADC will concurrently hold two of the three non-permanent African seats, amplifying sub-regional cohesion on critical security, climate and developmental policies.
Zimbabwe’s journey to the UNSC seat was anchored in regional solidarity, which saw SADC backing its nomination as the regional candidate.
In line with the African Group’s long-standing rotation of Security Council seats among the sub-regions, the AU Ministerial Committee on Candidatures gave Zimbabwe the green light to succeed Somalia whose tenure concludes in December 2026.
This consolidated continental endorsement presented Zimbabwe to the global body as an uncontested candidate.
However, even when running unopposed within their regional group, candidate states must secure a strict two-thirds majority of member states present and voting in the 193-member UN General Assembly.
During the elections held on 3 June, Zimbabwe obtained 182 votes, exceeding the mandatory 129-vote threshold.
The other four countries that were elected are Austria, Kyrgyzstan, Portugal, and Trinidad and Tobago.
When the newly elected members assume office on 1 January 2027, they will replace outgoing members Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama and Somalia.
The composition of the 15-member UN Security Council for 2027 will be made up of the five permanent members with veto powers – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States – plus the 10 non-permanent members with staggered terms.
The first group of non-permanent members is made up of Bahrain, Colombia, the DRC, Latvia and Liberia whose two-year terms run until December 2027.
The second group comprises Austria, Kyrgyzstan, Portugal, Trinidad and Tobago and Zimbabwe, which will serve until December 2028.
Zimbabwe’s membership of the UNSC comes at a critical juncture for global governance where Africa has for decades spearheaded a campaign for the comprehensive overhaul of the UN system, which remains stuck in its 1945 post-World War Two configuration.
Under the AU’s Ezulwini Consensus and Sirte Declaration, the continent is demanding the rectification of historical injustices by allocating at least two permanent seats on the Security Council with full veto capabilities and five non-permanent seats to African nations.
The calls have been amplified by contentious use of veto powers by the current permanent members on politicised global crises.
Responding to the vote, Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa hailed the outcome as a validation of his government’s foreign policy.
“Today, Zimbabwe marks a significant diplomatic milestone,” he declared.
“As we assume our seat on the global stage, Zimbabwe is poised to contribute meaningfully to international peace, security and multilateral cooperation, championing a fairer and more equitable global order while amplifying Africa’s voice.”
African diplomats in New York echoed these sentiments, noting that Zimbabwe’s track record, exemplified by its strategic reluctance to take principled positions on proxy conflicts, will bring balanced, constructive dialogue back to a deeply polarised Council.
The combined presence of Zimbabwe, Liberia and the DRC is expected to ensure that African perspectives on peacekeeping reforms, transboundary resource management and climate-induced security risks will be written into the core text of future global resolutions.
Other SADC member states that have previously served on the UN Security Council are Madagascar (1985-86), Zambia (1987-88), Botswana (1995-96), Namibia ((1999-2000), Mauritius (2001-02), Angola (2003-04; 2015-16), Tanzania (2005-06), South Africa (2007-08; 2011-12; 2019-20), and Mozambique (2023-24). sardc.net
