The UN General Assembly is set to meet on Thursday to elect five non-permanent members of the Security Council, as Pakistan and other candidates for a seat on the world’s body’s power centre stepped up their lobbying activities. Those elected will serve for two years — from January 1, 2025, through the end of 2026. They will replace Japan, Ecuador, Malta, Mozambique and Switzerland whose terms end on December 31. Under the UN Charter, the primary responsibility of the Security Council is the maintenance of international peace and security. A seven-term candidate, Pakistan, which was endorsed by the 53-member Asian Group, is unopposed in the contest. The Asian seat this year is being vacated by Japan. Pakistan’s earlier terms on the Council were in 2012-13, 2003-04, 1993-94, 1983-84, 1976- 77, 1968-69 and 1952-53. The Security Council is composed of 15 countries, five of which – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States – are permanent members, granting them the right to veto any resolution or decision. The 10 non-permanent members are elected by the General Assembly, which comprises all 193 UN Member States, and in line with geographical distribution by region. Voting is conducted by secret ballot and candidates must receive a two-thirds majority, or 128 votes, even if they run uncontested. In case a candidate falls short of the target, re-polls are conducted until the required number of votes are secured. If a situation of deadlock develops, then compromise candidates are brought in. The Pakistan delegation, which is led by Ambassador Munir Akram, has worked hard for months, in coordination with the Foreign Ministry and Pakistani embassies around the world, and appears fully confident of success. If elected, he said, Pakistan will devote its efforts to promoting the maintenance of international peace and security and the peaceful resolution of conflicts and disputes in accordance with the principles and purposes of the UN Charter. In other contests, Somalia and Mauritius are candidates for one African seat, while Denmark and Greece are vying for one Western European seat. Panama is the sole candidate for the Latin American seat.