Poland ousts Russia from UN oversight body after 60 years - by one vote
Poland has defeated Russia by a single vote in an election for a seat on a United Nations oversight body, ending Moscow's 60-year uninterrupted presence in the institution.
Poland received support from 95 UN member states in the secret ballot, according to the Polish Foreign Ministry.
The vote concerned a seat allocated to the Eastern European regional group on the UN's Joint Inspection Unit (JIU), an independent oversight body that evaluates the efficiency, management and coordination of organizations across the UN system.
Russia had held a seat on the body continuously since its establishment in 1966, according to Poland's UN ambassador, Krzysztof Szczerski.
"This is a major success for our very hard campaign," Szczerski told the Polish Press Agency, as quoted by Polsat News. "The competition was extremely fierce. We won by one vote."
Szczerski said Poland coordinated its campaign with other European Union members, who jointly sought support for the Polish candidate. Diplomatic efforts continued until the day of the vote.
The ambassador noted that the secret ballot made it impossible to determine which countries had voted for Poland.
The Joint Inspection Unit consists of 11 inspectors appointed for five-year terms. Its members conduct inspections, evaluations and investigations aimed at improving how UN organizations operate.
Poland's representative, Jakub Chmielewski, will serve from 2028 through 2032.
Poland previously held a seat on the body more than two decades ago.