Sierra Leone and four countries on Tuesday officially began two-year terms on the UN Security Council as non-permanent members.
The four other countries are Algeria, Guyana, the Republic of Korea and Slovenia.
The countries won elections to serve in June 2023, replacing Albania, Brazil, Gabon, Ghana and the United Arab Emirates whose terms ended on December 31, 2023.
Five permanent members who sit around the iconic horseshoe table in New York are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The 193-member General Assembly elects the 10 non-permanent members to provide regional balance.
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France serves as president of the Security Council for January 2024, and the Israel-Palestine crisis and war in Gaza will continue to be a prime focus for ambassadors.
The quarterly open debate on the situation in the Middle East may be elevated to a ministerial level with the French foreign affairs minister set to chair the meeting on 23 January.
The Security Council comprises 15 countries, including five permanent members: China, France, Russia, Britain, and the United States.
The permanent members have the right to veto any resolution or decision.
