Eastern European Group

Eastern European Group
AbbreviationEEG
Formation1964; 61 years ago (1964)
TypeRegional group
Legal statusActive
Region
Europe
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The Eastern European Group in 2012, with the years each member spent in the United Nations Security Council, including former members represented as outlines

The Group of Eastern European States (EEG) is one of the five United Nations regional groups and is composed of 23 Member States from Eastern, Central and Southern Europe.[1][2]

The Group, as with all the regional groups, is a non-binding dialogue group where subjects concerning regional and international matters are discussed. Additionally, the Group works to help allocate seats on United Nations bodies by nominating candidates from the region.[3][4]

History

Main article: United Nations Regional Groups

Prior to the creation of the Regional Groups in 1964, the United Nations Security Council had an Eastern European and Asian Seat, that was occupied between 1946 and 1964 by countries from Eastern Europe (including Greece and Turkey), as well as by members of the modern Western European and Others and Asia-Pacific Groups.

Since its creation, the Group has changed significantly due to the dissolution of various members: the Soviet Union in 1991, Yugoslavia between 1991-2006 and Czechoslovakia in 1993. Additionally, through the process of German reunification, the Group lost the German Democratic Republic as one of its member states.

Members

Eastern European Group

Current members

The following are the current Member States of the Eastern European Group:[5][2]

Historical members

Representation

The Eastern European Group has two seats in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC); the permanent seat of Russia, and one elected seat, currently held by Albania. The Group further has 6 seats on the United Nations Economic and Social Council and 6 seats on the United Nations Human Rights Council. It is also eligible for having its nationals elected as President of the United Nations General Assembly in years ending with 2 and 7; most recently, Miroslav Lajčák of Slovakia was elected to this position in 2017 and was the office holder of the Sixty-seventh session.

Security Council

The Eastern European Group holds two seats on the Security Council, 1 non-permanent and 1 permanent. The current members of the Security Council from the Group are:[6][7]

Country Term
 Russia Permanent
 Slovenia 1 January 2024 – 31 December 2025

Economic and Social Council

The Eastern European Group holds six seats on the United Nations Economic and Social Council. The current members of the Economic and Social Council from the Group are:[8][9]

Country Term
 Poland 1 January 2024 – 31 December 2026
 Slovakia 1 January 2023 – 31 December 2025
 Slovenia
(Vacant)[note 1]
 Croatia 1 January 2022 – 31 December 2024
 Czech Republic

Human Rights Council

The Eastern European Group holds six seats on the United Nations Human Rights Council. The current members of the Economic and Social Council from the Group are:[10][11]

Country Term
 Albania 1 January 2024 – 31 December 2026
 Bulgaria
 Georgia 1 January 2023 – 31 December 2025
 Romania
 Lithuania 1 January 2022 – 31 December 2024
 Montenegro

Presidency of the General Assembly

Main article: President of the United Nations General Assembly

Every five years in the years ending in 2 and 7, the Eastern European Group is eligible to elect a president to the General Assembly.[1]

The following is a list of presidents from the region since its official creation in 1963:[12]

Year Elected Session Name of President Country Note
1967 22nd Corneliu Mănescu  Romania
1972 27th Stanisław Trepczyński  Poland
1977 32nd Lazar Mojsov  Yugoslavia Also chaired the 8th, 9th and 10th special sessions of the General Assembly
1982 37th Imre Hollai  Hungary
1987 42nd Peter Florin  German Democratic Republic Also chaired the 15th special session of the General Assembly
1992 47th Stoyan Ganev  Bulgaria
1997 52nd Hennadiy Udovenko  Ukraine Also chaired the 10th emergency special and 20th special sessions of the General Assembly
2002 57th Jan Kavan  Czech Republic Also chaired the 10th emergency special session of the General Assembly
2007 62nd Srgjan Kerim  Macedonia
2012 67th Vuk Jeremić  Serbia
2017 72nd Miroslav Lajčák  Slovakia Also chaired the 10th emergency special session of the General Assembly
2022 77th Csaba Kőrösi  Hungary
Future
2027 82nd TBD TBD
2032 87th TBD TBD

Timeline of membership

As the Eastern European Group changed significantly over time, the number of its members had also changed.

Years Number of members Notes
1966–1973 10 Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Albania, Bulgaria, Romania, Soviet Union; Ukraine (as Ukrainian SSR) and Belarus (as Byelorussian SSR) were members on their own right (see here)
1973–1990 11 German Democratic Republic being a member
1990 10 German reunification
1991–1992 21 Dissolution of the Soviet Union (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan), breakup of Yugoslavia (Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia)
1993 22 Dissolution of Czechoslovakia (Czech Republic, Slovakia)
2006–present 23 Dissolution of Serbia and Montenegro (Serbia, Montenegro)

Notes

  1. ^ Pending election between North Macedonia and Russia, see notes of EEG section for details

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Wanza, Serah N. (27 November 2017). "What Are The Five Regional Groups of the United Nations?". Worldatlas. Worldatlas. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  2. ^ a b "United Nations Handbook 2018–19" (PDF). United Nations Handbook:: An Annual Guide for Those Working within the United Nations (56 ed.). Wellington: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of New Zealand: 15–17. 2018. ISSN 0110-1951. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-01-25. Retrieved 2020-01-05.
  3. ^ "Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Colombia. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Colombia. n.d. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  4. ^ Agam, Hasmy; Sam Daws; Terence O'Brien; Ramesh Takur (26 March 1999). What is Equitable Geographic Representation in the Twenty-First Century (PDF) (Report). United Nations University. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  5. ^ "Regional groups of Member States". United Nations Department for General Assembly and Conference management. United Nations. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  6. ^ "Current Members". United Nations Security Council. United Nations. n.d. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  7. ^ "General Assembly Elects Estonia, Niger, Saint Vincent and Grenadines, Tunisia, Viet Nam as Non-Permanent Members of Security Council for 2020-2021". United Nations Meetings Coverage & Press Releases. United Nations. 7 June 2019. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  8. ^ "Members". United Nations Economic and Social Council. United Nations. n.d. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  9. ^ "General Assembly Elects 19 Economic and Social Council Members to Terms Beginning 1 January 2020, Adopts Resolution Commemorating Signing of United Nations Charter". United Nations Meetings Coverage & Press Releases. United Nations. 14 June 2019. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  10. ^ "Current Membership of the Human Rights Council, 1 January - 31 December 2019 by regional groups". United Nations Human Rights Council. United Nations. n.d. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  11. ^ "General Assembly Elects 14 Member States to Human Rights Council, Appoints New Under-Secretary-General for Internal Oversight Services". United Nations Meetings Coverage & Press Releases. United Nations. 17 October 2019. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  12. ^ "Past Presidents". United Nations General Assembly. United Nations. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  1. ^ Formerly represented by the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic until 1991
  2. ^ Formerly under name The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia until 2019
  3. ^ Formerly represented by the Soviet Union until 1991
  4. ^ Permanent member of the United Nations Security Council
  5. ^ Formerly represented by the Ukrainian SSR until 1991