New York, 2 January 2026 – On the inaugural business day of the year, the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the United Nations hosted the 9^th 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.

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, H.E. Mr. 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, H.E. Mr. 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, H.E. Mr. 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.

The United Nations Security Council consists of five permanent members (China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States) and ten non-permanent members elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms, with five countries elected each year.

The ceremony holds special significance for newly elected members of the Security Council, symbolizing the formal commencement of their mandate in the principal organ of the United Nations responsible for the maintenance of international peace and security. The raising of national flags lends particular political and symbolic weight to the moment of accession, underscoring the collective responsibility of Council members to the entire international community.

Prior to Kazakhstan’s initiative, the procedure for changing the flags of non-permanent members of the Security Council was largely technical in nature. Since 2018, as a result of this initiative, it has been transformed into an official public ceremony held on the first working day of the Security Council, with the participation of media representatives.

In January 2019, the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the United Nations presented the Organization with unique flag stands for the member states of the Security Council, manufactured in Kazakhstan and adorned with traditional Kazakh ornamentation, which continue to be used during the ceremony to this day.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa-kazakhstanun/press/news/details/1136197?lang=kk