Kazakhstan holds annual flag installation ceremony of new members of UN Security Council
EL.KZ Информационно-познавательный портал
The Permanent Mission of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the United Nations hosted the 9th annual flag installation ceremony at UN Headquarters, marking the commencement of the 2026-2027 term of the newly elected non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, El.kz cites Kazakh Foreign Ministry.
The national flags of Bahrain, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Latvia, and Liberia were raised in front of the Security Council Chamber, formally signaling the start of their membership on the Council.
The ceremony, held on the first working day of each calendar year, was initiated by Kazakhstan in January 2018 during its Presidency of the Security Council. Since then, the practice has enjoyed the consistent support of all Council members and has been carried out under the organizational coordination of the Permanent Mission of Kazakhstan.
Notably, on 26 December 2025, the UN Security Council unanimously recognized the flag installation ceremony as an official annual event and formally incorporated it into the Council’s working methods, as reflected in the Note by the President of the Security Council S/2025/848. This decision granted institutional status to Kazakhstan’s initiative, establishing it as a lasting element of the Council’s procedural and symbolic tradition.
Opening the ceremony, Kairat Umarov, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the United Nations, emphasized that amid ongoing geopolitical tensions, decisions taken by the United Nations and the Security Council with the active participation of both permanent and non-permanent members will be crucial to maintaining global peace, international security, and sustainable development.
Speaking on behalf of the UN Secretary-General, Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, highlighted the central role of the Security Council in the global security architecture and praised Kazakhstan’s contribution to fostering trust, dialogue, and institutional continuity within the Council.
The Permanent Representative of Somalia to the United Nations, Abukar Dahir Osman, speaking in his capacity as President of the Security Council for January 2026, called on Member States to strengthen cooperation and coordination in responding to contemporary challenges and threats to international peace and security.
In their brief remarks, representatives of the newly elected members of the Security Council expressed their appreciation to Kazakhstan for organizing the ceremony and outlined the key priorities they intend to pursue during their 2026-2027 term on the Council.
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