Slovenia secures UN Security Council seat over Belarus.

Algeria, Guyana, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, and South Korea have been elected to the UN Security Council for two-year terms starting on 1 January 2024, while Belarus was denied a spot. Slovenia beat out Belarus in the only competitive race. The Security Council is the only UN body that can make legally binding decisions such as imposing sanctions and authorizing use of force. Russia has since used the territory of Belarus as a launchpad for its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.