The election was managed by the then-President of the United Nations General AssemblyPaul-Henri Spaak of Belgium. All 51 then-members were to write the names of the six nations they wished to elect to the Security Council. No previous candidacies were made. New Zealand expressed its wishes for a member from the South Pacific to be elected, with Australia being the "obvious choice" in their opinion, and themselves refraining from candidacy. The representative of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic made a proposal for the membership to be elected, consisting of Brazil, Egypt, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, and Poland. Following this proposal, the representatives of both New Zealand and Norway declined of candidating themselves.[2]
The results of the votes were as follows:
First round
With 50 valid and one not valid papers, one paper being valid with only 4 names on it:
This resulted in the election of Brazil, Egypt, Mexico, the Netherlands, and Poland to the Council, all of them having achieved the requisite two-thirds majority of 34 votes. One seat remained to be filled, and the rules required for that one nation to be elected from the two most successful candidates not elected; that is, Australia or Canada. This was to be decided upon in a second vote.
Australia was thus elected as the sixth non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
Voting on term length
After the six members were elected, a second vote was to decide which states were to serve for a one-year, and which for a two-year term. This was to divide the membership of the Council in two groups by phase of their terms, so that not all members would have to be elected at the same time. All 51 then-members were to vote for the nations they wished to elect for a two-year term, with those not achieving the required number of votes left to serve a one-year term. During the meeting, it was decided that a simple majority was sufficient to ensure election. The voting results were as follows:
First round
With 47 valid and 4 not valid papers:
Selected for two-year term
Selected for run-off
First-round two-year term length vote
Nation
Votes
Brazil
41
Australia
31
Netherlands
23
Poland
19
Egypt
16
Mexico
11
Invalid
4
Australia and Brazil won a simple majority of over 24 votes, thus securing two-year mandates, and the third such mandate is to be assigned to either the Netherlands or Poland in a new round of voting.
Second round
With 50 valid and one not valid papers:
Second-round two-year term length vote
Nation
Votes
Netherlands
25
Poland
25
Invalid
1
With the two candidates having obtained the same number of votes, and the requisite majority being 26 votes, the rules called for the President of the General Assembly to draw lots. This was done, and Poland was drawn. This gave the following end result: Australia, Brazil, and Poland were to serve until the September 1947 election for the United Nations Security Council, with a two-year term, and Egypt, Mexico, and the Netherlands until the September 1946 elections, with a one-year term.
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