Poland wins seat on UN oversight body, beating Russia by one vote

Poland was elected to the United Nations Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) on Wednesday, defeating Russia by one vote in a contest for a seat allocated to the Eastern European regional group, Poland's Permanent Representative to the UN, Krzysztof Szczerski, said. 

Image by Chickenonline from Pixabay

Pixabay License

Poland received the support of 95 UN member states, according to the Polish Foreign Ministry. The vote was held by secret ballot, so it is not known which countries supported Poland, Szczerski said. 

“This is a major success for our very hard-fought campaign, as we were competing for one seat allocated to the Eastern European Group. Our opponent was Russia, which had held a seat on this UN body continuously for 60 years and had won successive re-elections throughout that period. The competition was very fierce, and we won by one vote,” Szczerski told PAP on Thursday. 

Poland's representative on the JIU will be Jakub Chmielewski, whose term will run from 2028 to 2032. 

"Poland is returning to this institution after more than 20 years, while Russia is leaving it after 60 years,” Szczerski added. 

After nearly six decades, Russia is set to lose its seat on a key UN oversight body – to Poland. Warsaw has secured a place on the United Nations Joint Inspection Unit, winning a closely contested election by just one vote. Poland received 95 votes, compared with Russia's 94, ending Moscow's uninterrupted representation in the Eastern European Group since 1968. The JIU is the UN's only independent external oversight body, with powers to investigate spending, administrative practices and accountability across the organization. Poland's four-year mandate begins in 2028.

— TVP World (@TVPWorld_com) November 13, 2026

The UN General Assembly also selected Botswana, representing the African Group, and Japan and China, representing the Asia-Pacific Group, to nominate candidates for the JIU. 

The JIU conducts inspections, evaluations and investigations aimed at improving the efficiency, management and coordination of UN organisations. Established in 1966, it consists of 11 inspectors appointed by the General Assembly for five-year terms. 

Andrzej Abraszewski served as an inspector representing the Central and Eastern European region from 1991 to 2002. 

According to the Polish Foreign Ministry, JIU members have considerable independence in deciding which areas to examine and review. 

(sp) 

Source: PAP