Five countries join Security Council as new non-permanent members

With the start of the New Year, five countries have joined the United Nations Security Council as new non-permanent members of the 15-nation body.

As of 1 January, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Guinea, Mexico and Syria began their two-year terms on the Council, replacing Bangladesh, Jamaica, Mali, Tunisia and Ukraine.

Also on Tuesday, Ambassador Jagdish Koonjul of Mauritius assumed the Council's rotating presidency for the month of January.