Japan has been chosen as Asia's candidate for a nonpermanent seat on the U.N. Security Council for 2005 to 2006, officials of Japan's office at the United Nations said Saturday.
The Asia Group of 53 U.N. member countries decided on Japan during a meeting Friday at U.N. headquarters, the officials said.
The seat does not carry veto power in the Security Council.
The group officially selected Japan as the candidate to succeed Pakistan, whose term as a nonpermanent council member will expire at the end of 2004, after confirming that no other countries intended to run for the annual one-seat quota for Asia. The General Assembly will vote on the seat next fall.
Japan last held a Security Council seat from 1997 to 1998.
It would be Japan's ninth appointment as a nonpermanent member on the council, equaling the number of appointments by Brazil, which is to assume the position again in January.
The Asia Group currently holds two of the 10 nonpermanent seats on the council. The terms are two years and one of the two Asia seats is replaced every year.
The nonpermanent seats are allocated to three countries in Africa, two in Asia, two in Latin America, two in "western Europe and others" and one in eastern Europe.