UNA-UK lets facts and figures speak for themselves
UN regional groups
The regional groups evolved from the electoral slates used in the UN’s early years. Today, in addition to elections, the groups are used for discussion, caucusing and developing joint positions.
Some (e.g. African Group) are geographically cohesive. Others (e.g. WEOG) have more complex political, historical and racial origins.
THE USA is not formally a member of any group but attends WEOG meetings and is considered to be a member of that group for electoral purposes
TURKEY participates fully in both the WEOG and Asia-Pacific groups but is considered a member of the former for electoral purposes
ISRAEL formally joined WEOG in 2000 (although it is geographically part of the Asia-Pacific Group, its membership would not have been accepted by some members of that group)
KIRIBATI* is not formally a member of any regional group and is therefore not reflected in the number of UN member states in the statistics below
The UN in numbers
UN member states in 1945
African Group 4
Asia-Pacific Group 9
Eastern European Group (EEG) 6
Group of Latin American and Caribbean States (GRULAC) 20
Group of Western European and Other States (WEOG) 12
UN member states in 2018
African Group 54
Asia-Pacific Group 53*
Eastern European Group (EEG) 23
Group of Latin American and Caribbean States (GRULAC) 33
Group of Western European and Other States (WEOG) 29
Permanent seats on the Security Council
African Group 0
Asia-Pacific Group 1
Eastern European Group (EEG) 1
Group of Latin American and Caribbean States (GRULAC) 0
Group of Western European and Other States (WEOG) 3
Elected seats on the Security Council
African Group 3
Asia-Pacific Group 2
Eastern European Group (EEG) 1
Group of Latin American and Caribbean States (GRULAC) 2
Group of Western European and Other States (WEOG) 2
UN Senior Management Team, as of September 2018
African Group 8
Asia-Pacific Group 9
Eastern European Group (EEG) 3
Group of Latin American and Caribbean States (GRULAC) 9
Group of Western European and Other States (WEOG) 17
Population
African Group 1.19 BN 16%
Asia-Pacific Group 4.43 BN 60%
Eastern European Group (EEG) 293 M 4%
Group of Latin American and Caribbean States (GRULAC) 632 M 9%
Group of Western European and Other States (WEOG) 832 M 11%
- Nearly 3/4 of all General Assembly presidents have come from WEOG, GRULAC or Asia-Pacific (roughly 24% each)
- 4/9 Secretaries-General have been European
- Over half of the 12,800 NGOs accredited to the UN are from Africa, almost twice as many as from Europe
Highest number of elections to the Security Council
- JAPAN 11
- BRAZIL 10
- ARGENTINA 9
- COLOMBIA 7
- INDIA 7
- ITALY 7**
- PAKISTAN 7
** including a seat ‘share’ with the Netherlands in 2017–18
