Global Policy Forum

By Jason Topping Cone

A Norwegian delegate leaped out of his seat as the president of the General Assembly announced the Scandinavian country's election as non-permanent member to the Security Council. Delegates from Mauritius quickly embraced seconds after they received the required two-thirds vote needed for the tiny island country's election to the Council.

The UN's member states took four rounds of voting to decide the five non-permanent members to the Council. However, the four rounds was far from a record for the number of rounds need determine the Council membership. According to spokesman for the General Assembly, when Colombia and Cuba were vying for the Latin America seat in 1979, the election took 155 rounds.

The first round determined that Colombia would take the Latin American seat, while Singapore will assume the Asian seat and Ireland took the first of two western European states.

The General Assembly, not known for its propensity for high drama, was host to last minute campaigning from all sections of the globe. As the second round was completed Sudan and Mauritius were biding for the African seat. Norway and Italy were in a tight race for the second seat for western Europe. The two Eureopean countries had been schmoozing delegates for weeks with dinner parties.

Richard Holbrooke, the United States representative, wasted no time between the second and third rounds of voting. Holbrooke casually acquainted himself with the Kenyan delegation, a key state for Mauritius's victory. The US had been pushing for Mauritius to take the seat instead of the Sudan. The Organization of African Unity had endorsed Sudan for the Council seat. One of the Sudanese delegates strolled up and down the aisles conveniently stopping at tables of several African states. The campaigning stopped only after Harri Holkeri, the President of the General Assembly of Finland, stated:

"I should remind the delegates that we are in the middle of an election. All campaigning on the floor should stop."