View source for United Nations Regional Groups

{{Short description|Geopolitical regional groups of the United Nations}}

The '''United Nations Regional Groups''' are the [[geopolitics|geopolitical]] regional groups of [[member states of the United Nations|member states]] of the [[United Nations]]. Originally, the UN member states were unofficially organized into five groups as an informal means of sharing the distribution of posts for [[United Nations General Assembly|General Assembly]] committees. Now this grouping has taken on a much more expansive and official role. Many UN bodies are allocated on the basis of geographical representation. Top leadership positions, including [[Secretary-General of the United Nations|Secretary-General]] and [[President of the United Nations General Assembly|President of the General Assembly]], are rotated among the regional groups. The groups also coordinate substantive policy and form common fronts for negotiations and [[voting bloc|bloc voting]].<ref name="Swiss Handbook">{{cite book |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=The GA Handbook: A practical guide to the United Nations General Assembly |url=https://www.eda.admin.ch/dam/mission-new-york/en/documents/UN_GA__Final.pdf |edition=2 |location=New York |publisher=Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the United Nations |page=124 |date=2017 |isbn=978-0-615-49660-3}}</ref>

[[Image:UN regional groups.svg|thumb|400px|
{{legend|#0000FF|[[African Group]]}}
{{legend|#339900|[[Asia and the Pacific Group]]}}
{{legend|#CC0000|[[Eastern European Group]]}}
{{legend|#CC3399|[[Latin American and Caribbean Group]] (GRULAC)}}
{{legend|#CC9900|[[Western European and Others Group]] (WEOG)}}
{{legend|#000000|[[Member states of the United Nations|United Nations member state]] not in any regional group ([[Kiribati]])}}
{{legend|#00FF00|[[United Nations General Assembly observers#Current non-member observers|UN General Assembly observer states]] (the [[Holy See]]{{efn|The [[sovereignty|sovereign entity]] with [[state (polity)|statehood]] over the territory of the [[Vatican City|Vatican City State]].}} and the [[State of Palestine]]{{efn|Currently under [[Israeli-occupied territories|Israeli occupation]].}})}}
{{legend|#F0F0F0|[[Western Sahara]]{{efn|{{Western Sahara-note}}}}}}
{{legend|#C0C0C0|[[Antarctica]]{{efn|Assertion of [[territorial claims in Antarctica|territorial claims]] suspended under the [[Antarctic Treaty System]].}}}}
]]

==History==
===League of Nations===
The precedent of the geographic distribution of seats was set by the United Nations' predecessor, the [[League of Nations]]. Under the League's system, a Nominations Committee was created in order to create election slates for distribution of seats in the Council of the League.<ref name ="UNU Report">{{cite report |author1=Agam, Hasmy |author2=Sam Daws |author3=Terence O'Brien |author4=Ramesh Takur |date=26 March 1999 |title=What is Equitable Geographic Representation in the Twenty-First Century |url=http://archive.unu.edu/unupress/equitable.pdf |publisher=United Nations University |access-date=5 March 2019}}</ref>

This proved a difficult task as the number of seats on the Council was constantly changing. However, from 1926 to 1933 an unofficial pattern of distribution emerged where the non-permanent seats on the Council were distributed along the following lines:<ref name ="UNU Report" />

* 3 for Latin American states
* 1 for a Scandinavian state
* 1 for a [[Little Entente]] state (Czechoslovakia, Romania or Yugoslavia)
* 1 for a member of the British Commonwealth
* 1 for a Far Eastern state
* 1 seat each for Spain and Poland

===United Nations===
During the drafting of the United Nations Charter, the idea of geographic distribution of seats of the new organisation's bodies was one of the priorities of the drafters. On the United States' recommendation, the very first [[United Nations General Committee|General Committee of the United Nations]] was composed of:<ref name ="UNU Report" />

* The [[Permanent members of the United Nations Security Council|five permanent members of the Security Council]]
* 3 Latin American states 
* 2 British Commonwealth states
* 2 Eastern European states
* 1 Western European state
* 1 Middle Eastern state

This distribution began the precedent of using regional groups for the allocation of seats in United Nations bodies. For example, the first election to the [[United Nations Security Council|Security Council]] used a similar scheme, allocating seats along the following lines:<ref name="Encyclopedia">{{cite encyclopedia |last=Winkelmann |first=Ingo |editor-last=Volger |editor-first=Helmut |title=Regional Groups in the UN | encyclopedia =A Concise Encyclopedia of the United Nations |url=https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/eb28/294b6dd9c49dabfbd7791f6be2b154e101cb.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200113221847/https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/eb28/294b6dd9c49dabfbd7791f6be2b154e101cb.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 January 2020 |access-date=4 March 2019 |language=en |edition=2nd |year=2010 |publisher=Martinus Nijhoff Publishers |location=Leiden |isbn=978-90-04-18004-8 |pages=592–96|s2cid=159105596 }}</ref>
* The five permanent members of the Security Council
* 2 Latin American states
* 1 British Commonwealth state
* 1 Eastern European state
* 1 Western European states
* 1 Middle Eastern state

Elections to the Economic and Social Council also followed along similar lines, but instead allocated seats to "Near East states" and not "Middle Eastern states."

However, these arrangements were not formal and were based on "Gentlemen’s Agreements" agreed upon by the United States and the Soviet Union regarding the distribution of seats in United Nations bodies.

===Reform===
Following a wave of decolonization, there were multiple admissions into the United Nations from African, Asian and Pacific states. After the [[Bandung Conference]] in 1955, there was increasing solidarity among post-colonial states which led to pressure being put on the United Nations for increased representation of these states. This pressure led to the passage of Resolution 1192 (XII) of 12 December 1957, which established a formal pattern for distribution of seats on the General Committee.<ref>{{UN doc |docid=A/RES/1192(XII) |body=A |session=12 |type=R |resolution_number=1192 (XII) |title=Composition of the General Committee of the General Assembly |date=12 December 1957 |accessdate=5 March 2019}}</ref>

This was followed on 17 December 1963 by Resolutions 1990 (XVIII) and 1991 (XVIII). These resolutions further outlined the distribution of seats on the General Committee, but also outlined how seats would be geographically distributed on the Economic and Social and Security Councils. The resolutions outlined the regions as follow:<ref>{{UN doc |docid=A/RES/1991(XVIII) |body=A |session=18 |type=R |resolution_number=1991 (XVII) |title=Question of Equitable Representation on the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council |date=17 December 1963 |accessdate=5 March 2019}}</ref>
* African and Asian states
* Latin American states
* Eastern European states
* Western Europe and Other states

On 20 December 1971 Resolution 2847 (XXVI) formally set up the present distribution system that is in place for the Economic and Social Council. It also split the African and Asian states region into two separate regions, one for Asia and one for Africa.<ref>{{UN doc |docid=A/RES/2847(XXVI) |body=A |session=26th |type=R |resolution_number=2847 (XXVI) |title=Enlargement of the Economic and Social Council |date=20 December 1971 |accessdate=5 March 2019}}</ref>

Finally, on 19 December 1978 Resolution 33/138 was passed by the General Assembly. This resolution called for equitable geographic distribution of the presidency and vice-presidencies of the General Assembly, as well as of the chairmanship of the seven main committees.<ref>{{UN doc |docid=A/RES/33/138 |body=A |session=33rd |type=R |resolution_number=33/138 |title=Question of the Composition of the Relevant Organs of the United Nations : Amendments to Rules 31 and 38 of the Rules of Procedure of the General Assembly |date=19 December 1978 |accessdate=5 March 2019}}</ref>

===Present===
The most recent change to the regional grouping system was in 2011, when the Asia Group was renamed the Group of Asia and the Pacific Small Island Developing States, also Asia and the Pacific Group or Asia-Pacific Group, in order to recognise the growing role Pacific island nations play in the United Nations System.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sprep.org/news/un-recognises-pacific-name-change |title=UN Recognises The Pacific With Name Change |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=3 September 2011 |website=Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme |access-date=26 February 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Asian group of nations at UN changes its name to Asia-Pacific group |url=https://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/199302/asian-group-of-nations-at-un-changes-its-name-to-asia-pacific-group |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |location= Wellington |date=1 September 2011 |access-date=26 February 2019 }}</ref>

==Overview==
Apart from allowing member states with related international interests to liaise, discuss and coordinate their voting and other activities at the United Nations, the main function of the regional groups is to distribute membership quotas in United Nations bodies and leadership positions. According to convention, the non-permanent membership seats of the [[United Nations Security Council]] is apportioned between regional groups according to a set formula. Other bodies, such as the [[United Nations Economic and Social Council]] and the [[United Nations Human Rights Council]], also have set membership quotas for each regional group. The position of the [[President of the United Nations General Assembly]] rotates amongst the groups on a ten-year cycle (the current rule being that each regional group fills the position twice during the cycle, in effect it rotates on a five-year cycle).

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center; width:100%;"
|-
! Regional Group !! Number of members !! Population (approx., rounded WP numbers) !! [[United Nations Security Council|UNSC]] permanent members !! UNSC elected members !! [[United Nations Economic and Social Council|ECOSOC]] members !! [[United Nations Human Rights Council|HRC]] members !! [[President of the United Nations General Assembly|UNGA President]] (unit digit of year)
|-
| Africa || 54 (28%) || 1140 million (16%) || 0 || 3 || 14 (26%) || 13 (28%) || 4 and 9
|-
| Asia and the Pacific || 53 (28%) || 4240 million (59%)|| 1 || 2 || 11 (20%) || 13 (28%) || 1 and 6
|-
| EEG || 23 (12%) || 340 million (5%)||  1 || 1 || 6 (11%) || 6 (13%) || 2 and 7
|-
| GRULAC || 33 (17%) || 621 million (9%)|| 0 || 2|| 10 (19%) || 8 (17%) || 3 and 8
|-
| WEOG || 28+1 (15%) || 904 million (12%)||  3 || 2 || 13 (24%) || 7 (15%) || 0 and 5
|-
| ''None'' || 1 (1%) || 0.124 million (<1%)|| – || – || – || – || –
|-
| '''Total of UN''' || '''193''' || 7240 million || '''5''' || '''10''' || '''54''' || '''47''' || '''All years'''
|}

===Seating allocations===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:20%"
|-
! Security Council
! General Assembly
! Economic and Social Council
! Human Rights Council
|-
|[[File:United Nations Security Council regional groups.svg|150px]]
|[[File:United National General Assembly.svg|250px]]
|[[File:United Nations Economic and Social Council Membership.svg|250px]]
|[[File:United Nations Human Rights Council Membership.svg|250px]]
|-
|style="font-size:92%" align=left colspan=4 |
{{legend|#0000ff|African Group}}
{{legend|#339900|Asia and the Pacific Group}}
{{legend|#cc0000|Eastern European Group}}
{{legend|#cc3399|Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)}}
{{legend|#cc9900|Western European and Others Group (WEOG)}}
{{legend|#000000|UN member not in any voting group}}
|}

==The regional groups==
===African Group===
{{Main|African Group}}

The African Group consists of 54 member states (28% of all UN members), and is thus the largest regional group by number of member states. It is the only regional group that has a territory that coincides with the traditional [[continent]] of which its name originates. Its territory is composed entirely of land from [[Africa]].

The African Group has three seats on the Security Council, all non-permanent. The group also has 14 seats on the Economic and Social Council and 13 seats on the Human Rights Council. In the rotation for the election of the President of the United Nations General Assembly, the group is responsible for electing nationals from its member states in years ending with 4 and 9; most recently, [[Tijjani Muhammad-Bande]] of [[Nigeria]] was elected to this position in 2019.

In 1964, South Africa was rejected by both the African Group and WEOG. South Africa joined the African Group after the end of [[apartheid]].<ref name="UNU Report"/>

Member states of the African Group are as follows:<ref name="Members">{{cite web |url=https://www.un.org/dgacm/en/content/regional-groups |title=United Nations Regional Groups of Member States |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=n.d. |website=Department for General Assembly and Conference Management |publisher=United Nations |access-date=5 March 2019}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*{{flag|Algeria}}
*{{flag|Angola}}
*{{flag|Benin}}
*{{flag|Botswana}}
*{{flag|Burkina Faso}}
*{{flag|Burundi}}
*{{flag|Cape Verde}}
*{{flag|Cameroon}}
*{{flag|Central African Republic}}
*{{flag|Chad}}
*{{flag|Comoros}}
*{{flag|Democratic Republic of the Congo}}
*{{flag|Djibouti}}
*{{flag|Egypt}}
*{{flag|Equatorial Guinea}}
*{{flag|Eritrea}}
*{{flag|Eswatini}}
*{{flag|Ethiopia}}
*{{flag|Gabon}}
*{{flag|The Gambia}}
*{{flag|Ghana}}
*{{flag|Guinea}}
*{{flag|Guinea-Bissau}}
*{{flag|Ivory Coast}}
*{{flag|Kenya}}
*{{flag|Lesotho}}
*{{flag|Liberia}}
*{{flag|Libya}}
*{{flag|Madagascar}}
*{{flag|Malawi}}
*{{flag|Mali}}
*{{flag|Mauritania}}
*{{flag|Mauritius}}
*{{flag|Morocco}}
*{{flag|Mozambique}}
*{{flag|Namibia}}
*{{flag|Niger}}
*{{flag|Nigeria}}
*{{flag|Republic of the Congo}}
*{{flag|Rwanda}}
*{{flag|São Tomé and Príncipe}}
*{{flag|Senegal}}
*{{flag|Seychelles}}
*{{flag|Sierra Leone}}
*{{flag|Somalia}}
*{{flag|South Africa}}
*{{flag|South Sudan}}
*{{flag|Sudan}}
*{{flag|Tanzania}}
*{{flag|Togo}}
*{{flag|Tunisia}}
*{{flag|Uganda}}
*{{flag|Zambia}}
*{{flag|Zimbabwe}}
{{div col end}}

===Asia and the Pacific Group===
{{main|Group of Asia and the Pacific Small Island Developing States}}

The Group of Asia and the Pacific Small Island Developing States (formerly the Asia Group), or Asia and the Pacific Group, consists of 53 member states (27% of all UN members) and is the second largest regional group by number of member states after the African Group. Its territory is composed of much of the continents of [[Asia]] and [[Oceania]] with the exception of a few countries.

[[Armenia]], [[Azerbaijan]], [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]], and [[Russia]] are members of the [[Eastern European Group]], while [[Australia]], [[New Zealand]], and [[Israel]] are members of the [[Western European and Others Group]]. [[Kiribati]] is the only UN member state that has never joined one of the regional groups<ref name="Members"/> and [[Cyprus]] is the only European Union member state which is a member of the Asia and the Pacific Group. Additionally, [[Turkey]] participates in meetings of the Asia and the Pacific Group, but is for the purpose of elections considered part of the Western European and Others Group.

The Asia and the Pacific Group has three seats on the Security Council: China's permanent seat and two non-permanent seats. The group also has 11 seats on the Economic and Social Council and 13 seats on the Human Rights Council. In the rotation for the election of the President of the United Nations General Assembly, the group is responsible for electing nationals from its member states in years ending with 1 and 6; most recently, [[Abdulla Shahid]] of [[Maldives]] was elected to this position in 2021.

Member states of the Asia and the Pacific Group are as follows:<ref name="Members"/>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*{{flag|Islamic Republic of Afghanistan|name=Afghanistan}}
*{{flag|Bahrain}}
*{{flag|Bangladesh}}
*{{flag|Bhutan}}
*{{flag|Brunei}}
*{{flag|Cambodia}}
*{{flag|China}}
*{{flag|Cyprus}}
*{{flag|East Timor}}
*{{flag|Federated States of Micronesia}}
*{{flag|Fiji}}
*{{flag|India}}
*{{flag|Indonesia}}
*{{flag|Iran}}
*{{flag|Iraq}}
*{{flag|Japan}}
*{{flag|Jordan}}
*{{flag|Kazakhstan}}
*{{flag|Kuwait}}
*{{flag|Kyrgyzstan}}
*{{flag|Laos}}
*{{flag|Lebanon}}
*{{flag|Malaysia}}
*{{flag|Maldives}}
*{{flag|Marshall Islands}}
*{{flag|Mongolia}}
*{{flag|Myanmar}}
*{{flag|Nauru}}
*{{flag|Nepal}}
*{{flag|North Korea}}
*{{flag|Oman}}
*{{flag|Pakistan}}
*{{flag|Palau}}
*{{flag|Papua New Guinea}}
*{{flag|Philippines}}
*{{flag|Qatar}}
*{{flag|Samoa}}
*{{flag|Saudi Arabia}}
*{{flag|Singapore}}
*{{flag|Solomon Islands}}
*{{flag|South Korea}}
*{{flag|Sri Lanka}}
*{{flag|Syria}}
*{{flag|Tajikistan}}
*{{flag|Thailand}}
*{{flag|Tonga}}
*{{flag|Turkmenistan}}
*{{flag|Tuvalu}}
*{{flag|United Arab Emirates}}
*{{flag|Uzbekistan}}
*{{flag|Vanuatu}}
*{{flag|Vietnam}}
*{{flag|Yemen}}
{{div col end}}

===Eastern European Group===
{{Main|Eastern European Group}}

The Eastern European Group consists of 23 member states (12% of all UN members), and as such is the regional group with the fewest member states. Its territory is composed of land from [[Eastern Europe]], as well as parts of [[Central Europe]] and [[Southeast Europe]].

The Eastern European Group has two seats on the Security Council: Russia's permanent seat and one non-permanent seat. The group also has 6 seats on the Economic and Social Council and 6 seats on the Human Rights Council. In the rotation for the election of the President of the United Nations General Assembly, the group is responsible for electing nationals from its member states in years ending with 2 and 7; most recently, [[Csaba Kőrösi]] of [[Hungary]] was elected to this position in 2022.

Member states of the Eastern European Group are as follows:<ref name="Members"/>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*{{flag|Albania}}
*{{flag|Armenia}}
*{{flag|Azerbaijan}}
*{{flag|Belarus}}
*{{flag|Bosnia and Herzegovina}}
*{{flag|Bulgaria}}
*{{flag|Croatia}}
*{{flag|Czechia}}
*{{flag|Estonia}}
*{{flag|Georgia}}
*{{flag|Hungary}}
*{{flag|Latvia}}
*{{flag|Lithuania}}
*{{flag|Moldova}}
*{{flag|Montenegro}}
*{{flag|North Macedonia}}
*{{flag|Poland}}
*{{flag|Romania}}
*{{flag|Russia}}
*{{flag|Serbia}}
*{{flag|Slovakia}}
*{{flag|Slovenia}}
*{{flag|Ukraine}}
{{div col end}}

===Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)===
{{Main|Latin American and Caribbean Group}}

The Latin American and Caribbean Group, or GRULAC, consists of 33 member states (17% of all UN members). Its territory is composed of entirely of land from [[South America|South]] and [[Central America]], as well as some islands in the [[Caribbean]] and [[Mexico]] in [[North America]]. Any differences arise from the presence of dependent territories of European countries.<ref>{{cite web|title=Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)|url=http://www.cancilleria.gov.co/en/international/multilateral/consensus/latin-america|publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Colombia|access-date=2012-10-18}}</ref>

The Latin American and Caribbean Group has two seats on the Security Council, both non-permanent. The group also has 10 seats on the Economic and Social Council and 8 seats on the Human Rights Council. In the rotation for the election of the President of the United Nations General Assembly, the group is responsible for electing nationals from its member states in years ending with 3 and 8; most recently, [[María Fernanda Espinosa]] of [[Ecuador]] was elected to this position in 2018.

Member states of the Latin American and Caribbean Group are as follows:<ref name="Members"/>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*{{flag|Antigua and Barbuda}}
*{{flag|Argentina}}
*{{flag|The Bahamas}}
*{{flag|Barbados}}
*{{flag|Belize}}
*{{flag|Bolivia}}
*{{flag|Brazil}}
*{{flag|Chile}}
*{{flag|Colombia}}
*{{flag|Costa Rica}}
*{{flag|Cuba}}
*{{flag|Dominica}}
*{{flag|Dominican Republic}}
*{{flag|Ecuador}}
*{{flag|El Salvador}}
*{{flag|Grenada}}
*{{flag|Guatemala}}
*{{flag|Guyana}}
*{{flag|Haiti}}
*{{flag|Honduras}}
*{{flag|Jamaica}}
*{{flag|Mexico}}
*{{flag|Nicaragua}}
*{{flag|Panama}}
*{{flag|Paraguay}}
*{{flag|Peru}}
*{{flag|Saint Kitts and Nevis}}
*{{flag|Saint Lucia}}
*{{flag|Saint Vincent and the Grenadines}}
*{{flag|Suriname}}
*{{flag|Trinidad and Tobago}}
*{{flag|Uruguay}}
*{{flag|Venezuela}}
{{div col end}}

===Western European and Others Group (WEOG)===
{{Main|Western European and Others Group}}

The Western European and Others Group, or WEOG, consists of 28 member states (15% of all UN members). Its territory is composed of land dispersed on all of the continents, but mostly centered in [[Western Europe]] and [[Northern America]]. Additionally, the United States acts as an observer, as it is not formally part of any regional group.

Including the United States, the Western European and Others Group has five seats on the Security Council: three permanent seats (France, the United Kingdom, and the United States) and two non-permanent seats. The group also has 13 seats on the Economic and Social Council and 7 seats on the Human Rights Council. In the rotation for the election of the President of the United Nations General Assembly, the group is responsible for electing nationals from its member states in years ending with 0 and 5; most recently, [[Volkan Bozkır]] of [[Turkey]] was elected to this position in 2020.

Member states of the Western European and Others Group are as follows:<ref name="Members"/>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*{{flag|Andorra}}
*{{flag|Australia}}
*{{flag|Austria}}
*{{flag|Belgium}}
*{{flag|Canada}}
*{{flag|Denmark}}
*{{flag|Finland}}
*{{flag|France}}
*{{flag|Germany}}
*{{flag|Greece}}
*{{flag|Iceland}}
*{{flag|Ireland}}
*{{flag|Israel}}{{efn|In May 2000, Israel became a full member of the Group of Western European and other States on a temporary basis (subject to renewal), thereby enabling it to put forward candidates for election to various bodies of the General Assembly. In 2004, Israel obtained a permanent renewal to its membership.<ref name="Members"/>}}
*{{flag|Italy}}
*{{flag|Liechtenstein}}
*{{flag|Luxembourg}}
*{{flag|Malta}}
*{{flag|Monaco}}
*{{flag|Netherlands}}
*{{flag|New Zealand}}
*{{flag|Norway}}
*{{flag|Portugal}}
*{{flag|San Marino}}
*{{flag|Spain}}
*{{flag|Sweden}}
*{{flag|Switzerland}}
*{{flag|Turkey}}{{efn|Turkey participates fully in both the Group of Western European and other States and the Group of Asia-Pacific States, but for electoral purposes is considered a member of the Group of Western European and other States only.<ref name="Members"/>}}
*{{flag|United Kingdom}}
*{{flag|United States of America}}{{efn|The United States of America is not a member of any regional group, but attends meetings of the Group of Western European and other States as an observer and is considered to be a member of that group for electoral purposes.<ref name="Members"/>}}
{{div col end}}

=== UN General Assembly observer states ===
==== Holy See ====
The [[Holy See and the United Nations|Holy See]] participates in the Western European and Others Group as an observer only.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://outreach.un.org/mun/content/groups-member-states|title=Groups of Member States {{!}} outreach.un.org.mun|website=outreach.un.org|access-date=2017-08-10|archive-date=2017-03-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170315054247/https://outreach.un.org/mun/content/groups-member-states|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==== State of Palestine ====
The [[Palestine Liberation Organization]] has participated in the Asia and the Pacific Group since 2 April 1986 as an observer.<ref>{{Cite web|author=United Nations General Assembly |url=http://www.undemocracy.com/A-RES-52-250.pdf |title=UNGA Resolution 52/250 |publisher=United Nations |date=7 July 1998 |access-date=2011-01-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522214702/http://www.undemocracy.com/A-RES-52-250.pdf |archive-date=May 22, 2011 }}: "Palestine enjoys full membership in the Group of Asian States and the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia."</ref><ref>{{Cite web|author=Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine to the United Nations|title=Status of Palestine at the United Nations|url=http://www.un.int/wcm/content/site/palestine/cache/offonce/pid/11550;jsessionid=DB37131DB27A165B6398469FFE4DB1FC|publisher=United Nations|access-date=2011-01-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606092743/http://www.un.int/wcm/content/site/palestine/cache/offonce/pid/11550%3Bjsessionid%3DDB37131DB27A165B6398469FFE4DB1FC|archive-date=2011-06-06|url-status=dead}}: "On 2 April 1986, the Asian Group of the U.N. decided to accept the PLO as a full member."</ref><ref>{{Cite web|author=United Nations Conference on Trade and Development|title=Government structures|url=http://www.unctad.org/templates/Page.asp?intItemID=4966&lang=1|publisher=United Nations|access-date=2011-01-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100613180649/http://unctad.org/Templates/Page.asp?intItemID=4966&lang=1|archive-date=2010-06-13|url-status=dead}}: "At present, the PLO is a full member of the Asian Group of the United Nations, ..."</ref><ref>{{Cite news|author=Doebbler, Curtis|title=International Law and Palestinian Independence: A View from Palestine|url=http://jurist.justia.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-search.cgi?IncludeBlogs=1,6,11,3,7,9,12,2,8,4,1,10,5&tag=International%20Law&limit=20|date=27 November 2009|newspaper=JURIST|publisher=University of Pittsburgh School of Law|access-date=2011-01-10|archive-date=2015-09-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150930200822/http://jurist.justia.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-search.cgi?IncludeBlogs=1,6,11,3,7,9,12,2,8,4,1,10,5&tag=International%20Law&limit=20|url-status=dead}}: "Palestine is already recognised as a full member of the Asian Group of States in the UN, and often thereby submits and influences UN resolutions. Being a member state would also give the Palestinian representative to the UN the right to vote on General Assembly resolutions, among other UN decisions."</ref>

==Calls for reform==
The great variation in size (from 21 to 53) between the regional groups is problematic in that it may mean equal representation is more difficult to achieve.<ref name="Encyclopedia" /> Additionally, some of the groups might be in need of reform due to political changes within the group. Many members of the Eastern European Group have, in recent years, gradually aligned themselves with the Western European and Others Group due to their admission into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union. Additionally, some members of the Western European and Others Group also feel disenfranchised due to increased coordination between European Union states that are in the group.<ref name="Encyclopedia" />

In 1995, the Australian Government proposed that the regional groups be reorganised in seven groups as follows:
* Western Europe (24 members)
* Central and Eastern Europe (22 members)
* Middle East and the Maghreb (19 members)
* Africa (43 members)
* Central Asia and the Indian Ocean (17 members)
* East Asia and Oceania (25 members)
* America (35 members)
This proposal would create a homogenous Middle Eastern group, as well as meet the demands of South Pacific states who have called for their own region.<ref name="Encyclopedia" />

In 1997, a Canadian study proposed that the regional groups be reorganised into nine groups as follows:
* Eurasia (21 members)
* Asia/Pacific (25 members)
* Mediterranean/Gulf (19 members) 
* Northern Europe (20 members) 
* Southern Europe (19 members) 
* North Africa (23 members) 
* Southern Africa (23 members)
* Americas (19 members) 
* Caribbean (16 members)
This proposal would create groups of similar size, while also factoring in the local politics of the regions.<ref name="Encyclopedia" /><ref name="O'Brien Working Paper 6/97">{{cite journal |last1=O'Brien |first1=Terence |title=The United Nations: Legacy and Reform |date=1997 |url=https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/strategic-studies/documents/working-papers/wp-06.pdf |access-date=8 December 2020}}</ref>

In 2000, the government of [[Nauru]], in its general debate address, called for a new regional group for Oceania. This new group would give more representation to Pacific island nations, who are at present grouped together with the Middle East, Central Asia and East Asia, limiting their opportunities. Aside from Nauru, this proposed bloc may also include [[Australia]] and [[New Zealand]] (both in the WEOG), [[Japan]], [[South Korea]], the [[Member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations|ASEAN countries]], and the rest of Oceania.<ref>{{UN doc |docid=A/55/PV.25 |body=A |session=55 |type=Official Records |document_number=55/PV.25 |title=General Debate |page=21 |date= 20 September |year=2000 |meeting=25th plenary meeting |meetingtime=15:00 |speakername=Vinci Niel Clodumar |speakernation=Nauru |language=English |accessdate=|quote=}}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Image:UNSC years for African Group 2010.png|Members of the African Group colour-coded for the number of years each spent on the [[United Nations Security Council|Security Council]] as of 2010
Image:GRULAC years 2010.PNG|Members of the Latin American and Caribbean Group colour-coded for the number of years each spent on the [[United Nations Security Council|Security Council]] as of 2010
File:Eastern European Group 2010.png|The Eastern European Group in 2010, with the years each member spent in the [[United Nations Security Council]], including former members represented as outlines
File:UNGA Presidents from Eastern Europe.png|A map showing from which countries from the Eastern European Group has there been elected a [[President of the United Nations General Assembly]] as of September 2017
File:WEOG 2010.png|Members of the Western European and Others Group colour-coded for the number of years each spent on the [[United Nations Security Council|Security Council]] as of 2010
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[IAEA Areas]]
* [[List of members of the United Nations Security Council]]
* [[List of members of the United Nations Economic and Social Council]]
* [[List of members of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights]]
* [[United Nations geoscheme]]
* [[Continental union]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://data.unaids.org/pub/Manual/2009/jc1682_governancehandbook_lr_en.pdf ''UNAIDS, The Governance Handbook'', January 2010] (pp.&nbsp;28,29); PDF document at UN-AIDS website.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Regional groups of the United Nations}}
[[Category:United Nations-related lists]]
[[Category:History of the United Nations]]
[[Category:United Nations coalitions and unofficial groups]]