They took part in a first meeting to approve the proposed agenda by the current chair of the council, Tunisia. The new countries will hold non-permanent seats on the 15-member council for two years.

The permanent members — the United States, Russia, China, France, and Britain — hold veto power.

The Security Council is active in many conflict zones and crises around the world, mainly through peacekeeping operations involving some 100,000 soldiers from UN member states.