Kuwait is among six countries — including Equatorial Guinea, Ivory Coast, Peru, Poland and the Netherlands — that formally joined the ranks of the non-permanent members of the UN Security Council on Tuesday (January 2nd), AFP reported.
"Peace and security are difficult to achieve," Kazakh envoy Kairat Umarov, who took the rotating presidency in January, told council members at a special ceremony. "You are going to have a real chance to make a difference."
One after the other, ambassadors representing the council's six new member countries -- five men and a woman, Polish envoy Joanna Wronecka -- placed their flag among those of the body's nine other members.
The UN Security Council has 15 members, including five with permanent seats who have the power to veto resolutions -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the US.
The six countries who left the UN Security Council on December 31st are Egypt, Italy, Japan, Senegal, Ukraine and Uruguay.
