On 14 October 1997, the General Assembly elected five new members to the Security Council. Those elected were: Bahrain, Brazil, Gabon, Gamiba and Slovenia. Their two-year terms begin in January. To win a seat, a country needs a two-thirds majority of the votes of those present for the secret balloting. Seats are allocated on a regional basis.

Three States were to be elected from African and Asian States, one from Eastern Europe and one from Latin America and the Caribbean.

Bahrain, Gabon and Gambia were the only candidates for the three vacancies from among the African and Asian States. They were elected nearly unanimously (a single write-in vote was cast for Zambia). Brazil was the only candidate from the Latin American and Caribbean States, and was elected nearly unanimously (a single write-in vote was cast for Argentina).

Two candidates ran for the Eastern European seat: Slovenia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Slovenia decisively won with 140 votes (required majority: 114), while the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia only got 30 votes.

In comparison to the hotly-contested 1996 elections, the 1997 elections were surprisingly quiet.