In a vote on Wednesday, the Philippines lost its bid for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council to Kyrgyzstan.
Competing for the sole open seat in the Asia-Pacific bloc, Kyrgyzstan secured victory with 142 votes against the Philippines’ 49 after four rounds of balloting.
Following the results, Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro offered her congratulations to the winning nation while expressing gratitude to the global community for supporting the Philippines during its campaign.
“The Philippines respects the decision of the member states of the United Nations and extends its congratulations to the Kyrgyz Republic following today’s election,” Lazaro stated.
The UN General Assembly elects non-permanent members annually through a secret ballot based on regional distribution. To secure a seat, candidate nations must achieve a two-thirds majority from the 193 member states. The Philippines has previously held a non-permanent seat four times: in 1957, 1963, 1980–1981, and 2004–2005.
Despite the setback, Lazaro emphasized that the country would remain dedicated to its core diplomatic values.
“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 Philippines remains committed to working with all nations in pursuing peace, stability and sustainable development, and a rules-based international order,” Lazaro added.
The UN Security Council consists of 15 members. This includes five veto-wielding permanent members—the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, France, and China—and ten non-permanent members elected to staggered two-year terms.
As the UN’s most powerful organ, the Council holds the exclusive authority to pass binding resolutions, implement global sanctions, and approve military interventions to maintain international peace.