According to the Filipino Times, the UAE, together with Albania, Brazil, Gabon, and Ghana, has formally joined the UN Security Council.
Ambassadors made brief statements before placing their countries’ flags outside the council chambers alongside those of other members. In an awareness of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, they also posed for a group portrait while wearing face masks and standing apart.
The 15-member council is the most powerful body in the UN, with permanent members China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States having veto power.
The 193-member General Assembly elects other members for staggered two-year periods.