The UN Security Council welcomed five new members on Tuesday, as Albania, Brazil, Gabon, Ghana and the United Arab Emirates formally took up the posts they won in an election in June, The Associated Press reported.
The 15-member council is made up of permanent members China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, which have veto power.
Other members are elected by the 193-member General Assembly for staggered, two-year terms that are allocated by global regions.
Estonia, Niger, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Tunisia and Vietnam concluded their terms Friday.
Albania is joining for the first time, while Brazil is taking an 11th turn. Gabon and Ghana each have been on the council three times before and the UAE once.
The UAE’s role on the global diplomatic stage has been heightened in recent months with its announcement that it will normalize relations with Israel, a major policy shift that was also adopted by neighboring Bahrain.
Israel sought a seat on the Security Council in 2018 but ultimately withdrew from the race against Germany and Belgium.