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The United Nations Regional Groups are the geopolitical regional groups of member states of the United Nations. Originally, UN member states were unofficially grouped into five geopolitical regional groups. What began as an informal means of sharing the distribution of posts for General Assembly committees has taken on a much more expansive role. Depending on the UN context, regional groups control elections to UN-related positions, on the basis of geographic representation, as well as coordinate substantive policy, and form common fronts for negotiations and voting.
Contents
- Overview
- African Group
- Asia Pacific Group
- 2011 name change
- Eastern European Group
- Latin American and Caribbean Group GRULAC
- Western European and Others Group WEOG
- UN Observers
- Israel
- Kiribati
- Turkey
- United States of America
- Palestine
- Pacific
- References
The groupings have changed over time. From the founding of the United Nations until 1966, the regional groups were: British Commonwealth, Eastern Europe and Asia, Latin America, Middle East and Western Europe. In 1966, in response to changes in the UN's membership, decolonisation and strategic realignment, the groups were reorganised as: Asia, Eastern Europe, Africa, Latin America and Caribbean, and Western Europe and Others. In 2011, the Asia Group was renamed Asia-Pacific.
As of May 2014, the 193 UN member states are divided into five regional groups:
Kiribati is not included in the above numbers (see below).
Overview
Apart from allowing member states with related international interests to liaise, discuss and coordinate their voting and other activities at the United Nations, the main function of the regional groups is to distribute membership quotas in United Nations bodies and leadership positions. According to convention, the non-permanent membership seats of the United Nations Security Council is apportioned between regional groups according to a set formula. Other bodies, such as the United Nations Economic and Social Council and the United Nations Human Rights Committee, also have set membership quotas for each regional group. The position of the President of the UN General Assembly rotates amongst the groups on a ten-year cycle (the current rule being that each regional group fills the position twice during the cycle, in effect it rotates on a five-year cycle).
African Group
The African Group has 54 members (28% of all UN members), and is thus the largest regional group by number of member states. It is the only regional group that has a territory that coincides with the traditional continent of which its name originates. The African Group has 3 seats on the Security Council, all non-permanent, currently occupied by Ethiopia, Egypt, and Senegal. The Group also has 14 seats on the United Nations Economic and Social Council and 13 seats on the United Nations Human Rights Council. In the rotation of the post of the President of the United Nations General Assembly, the group is eligible for having its nationals elected to this post in years ending with 4 and 9; most recently, Sam Kutesa of Uganda was elected to this position in 2014.
Member states of the African Group, as of July 2011:
Asia-Pacific Group
The Asia-Pacific Group (formerly the Asian Group) has 53 members (27.5% of all UN members) and is the second largest regional group by number of member states (one fewer than the African Group). Its territory is composed of much of the continents of Asia and Oceania. However, Russia and the Caucasian states are members of the Eastern European Group and Australia, New Zealand, Israel, and Turkey are all members of the Western European and Others Group. The Asia-Pacific Group has three seats on the Security Council: the permanent seat of China, and two non-permanent seats, currently occupied by Japan and Kazakhstan. The Group also has 11 seats on the United Nations Economic and Social Council and 13 seats on the United Nations Human Rights Council. In the rotation of the post of the President of the United Nations General Assembly, the group is eligible for having its nationals elected to this post in years ending with 1 and 6; most recently, Peter Thomson of Fiji was elected to this position in 2016.
Member states of the Asia-Pacific Group, as of 2011:
2011 name change
Until 2011, the Asia-Pacific Group was called the "Asian Group". The name change was adopted as a result of pressure from the non-Asian island countries that compose approximately one-fifth of the group's membership. On China's insistence, the group's official name is the "Group of Asia and the Pacific Small Island Developing States", but the use of the shortened name "Asia-Pacific Group" is permitted in official UN documents.
Eastern European Group
The Eastern European Group has 23 members (12% of all UN members), and as such is the regional group with the fewest member states. The Eastern European Group has 2 seats on the Security Council; the permanent seat of Russia and one non-permanent seat, currently occupied by Ukraine. The Group also has 6 seats on the United Nations Economic and Social Council and 6 seats on the United Nations Human Rights Council. In the rotation of the post of the President of the United Nations General Assembly, the group is eligible for having its nationals elected to this post in years ending with 2 and 7; most recently, Vuk Jeremić of the Republic of Serbia was elected to this position for 2012.
Members of the Eastern European Group as of 2010:
Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
The Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC for short ) has 33 members (17% of all UN members). Its territory is almost exactly that of South and Central America and the Caribbean; the differences arise from the presence of dependent territories of European countries. GRULAC has 2 non-permanent seats on the Security Council, currently occupied by Venezuela and Uruguay. The Group also has 10 seats on the United Nations Economic and Social Council and 8 seats on the United Nations Human Rights Council. In the rotation of the post of the President of the United Nations General Assembly, the group is eligible for having its nationals elected to this post in years ending with 3 and 8; most recently, John William Ashe of Antigua and Barbuda was elected to this position in 2013.
Member states of the Latin American and Caribbean Group, as of 2010:
Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
The Western European and Others Group (WEOG for short) has 28 members (15% of all UN members). It has a territory dispersed on all of the continents, but mostly centred in Western Europe and North America. In addition, the United States is an observer (see below). Including the United States, WEOG has 5 seats on the Security Council, three permanent ones (France, United Kingdom, United States), and two non-permanent ones, currently occupied by New Zealand and Spain. The Group also has 13 seats on the United Nations Economic and Social Council and 7 seats on the United Nations Human Rights Council. In the rotation of the post of the President of the United Nations General Assembly, the group is eligible for having its nationals elected to this post in years ending with 0 and 5; most recently, Mogens Lykketoft of Denmark was elected to this position in 2015.
Member states of the Western European and Others Group, as of 2011:
UN Observers
Since the adoption of United Nations General Assembly resolution 67/19, there are 2 observer states:
Israel
In May 2000, Israel, though naturally a part of the Asia-Pacific Group in geographical terms but with membership blocked by Arab countries, became a full member of WEOG, on a temporary basis (subject to renewal), in WEOG's headquarters in the US, thereby enabling it to put forward candidates for election to various UN General Assembly bodies. In 2004 Israel obtained a permanent renewal to its membership. (It remained an observer at UN offices in Geneva, Nairobi, Rome and Vienna.) In December 2013, Israel was granted full membership to the WEOG group in Geneva. Israel is thus a full permanent member of the WEOG group.
Kiribati
As of 2010, Kiribati (geographically in Oceania) has never elected to be a member of any regional group, despite other Oceania nations belonging to the Asia-Pacific Group. Despite its membership in the United Nations, Kiribati has never delegated a permanent representative to the UN.
Turkey
Turkey participates fully in both WEOG and Asia-Pacific Group, but for electoral purposes is considered a member of WEOG only.
United States of America
The United States of America voluntarily chooses not to be a member of any group, and attends meetings of the Western European and Others Group as an observer only. However, it is considered to be a member of WEOG for putting forward candidates for electoral purposes in the United Nations General Assembly.
Palestine
The Palestinian Liberation Organization has participated in the Asia-Pacific group since 2 April 1986 as an observer.
Pacific
In 2000, the government of Nauru—at present, a member of the Asia-Pacific Group—called for a new regional group titled Oceania. Aside from Nauru, this proposed bloc may also include Australia and New Zealand (both in WEOG), Japan, South Korea, the ASEAN countries, and the rest of Oceania.