UN Security Council welcomes new members with flag ceremony
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The United Nations Security Council has six new members: Equatorial Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kuwait, the Netherlands, Peru and Poland.
Their flags were installed outside the council chambers Tuesday in a ceremony arranged by Kazakhstan's ambassador, Kairat Umarov. His country currently holds the council presidency.
The 15-member council is the U.N.'s most powerful body. China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States are permanent members, with veto power.
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Other members are elected by the 193-member General Assembly for two-year terms. But this year, the Netherlands is filling out the second half of a term it shared with Italy.
Egypt, Japan, Senegal, Ukraine and Uruguay also finished their terms last year.
Winning a Security Council seat gives countries a strong voice in matters dealing with international peace and security.