Greece takes UN Security Council helm amid global crises
Greece assumes the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council on October 1, its second and final stint during its 2025-26 term as an elected member.
Greece, whose two-year term ends December 31, previously held the presidency in May 2025. Ambassador Aglaia Balta, Greece’s permanent representative to the United Nations, will preside over the 15-member body.
The presidency comes as the Security Council grapples with several major conflicts amid deep divisions among its five permanent members. Ukraine remains high on the agenda, alongside the fragile ceasefire in Gaza and tensions involving Iran and the Strait of Hormuz.
The Council is also dealing with the war in Sudan and the continuing security crisis in Haiti, where armed violence has displaced nearly 1.5 million people. On September 29, it renewed for six months the mandate of an international force fighting gangs in Haiti ahead of elections scheduled for December.
October could also prove significant in the selection of the next UN secretary-general. Under the UN Charter, the General Assembly appoints the secretary-general on the recommendation of the Security Council.
If the Council reaches agreement this month, and none of its five permanent members exercises its veto, the recommendation on a successor to Antonio Guterres could therefore come during Greece’s presidency.
The next secretary-general is due to take office January 1, 2027.
SOURCE: