A quiet diplomatic battle is taking shape between the Philippines and Kyrgyzstan for the sole non-permanent seat of the United Nations Security Council in the Asia-Pacific for the 2027-2028 term. The General Assembly will elect new members on June 3.
Long viewed as the clear favourites, the Philippines now face an unexpectedly strong push from Kyrgyzstan, turning what was expected to be a routine contest into a competitive contest.
The Security Council has 15 members, five of them permanent – the United States, China, Russia, the United Kingdom and France. Kyrgyzstan is one of 59 countries that have never served on the Council, according to the UN website.
The last time Kyrgyzstan claimed a place, in 2011, they lost to Pakistan. It came a year after the bloody 2010 revolution, and Kyrgyzstan lacked the consolidated support of its closest Central Asian neighbors. But Bishkek believes that this time is different.
after resolving long-standing border disputes with its neighbors, it now has the support of all its Central Asian neighbors – Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan – and the strong support of the other Turkic countries, Turkey and Azerbaijan.
Kyrgyzstan is also betting that increased global interest in the Eurasian hinterland — from Washington’s focus on critical minerals to Beijing’s push for overland energy routes that bypass maritime choke points — will translate into calls for greater representation from the region.
“The UNSC elections are becoming much more competitive than many expected,” a Kyrgyz diplomat said.
If successful, Kyrgyzstan will become only the second Central Asian country to serve on the Security Council, following Kazakhstan’s 2017-2018 mandate.
The Philippines, on the other hand, served four times – in the years 1957, 1963, 1980-1981 and 2004-2005. A founding member of ASEAN and a treaty ally of the US, its strategic location near Taiwan has made it central to Washington’s efforts to strengthen deterrence against China.
While permanent members traditionally avoid publicly declaring preferences, a Philippine diplomat said it was natural for Washington to support Manila. “The other side is supported by China and Russia”, said the diplomat, adding that the countries should be on the “right side of history”.
Kyrgyzstan, however, has worked to change this perception. Last month, it appointed Deputy Prime Minister Edil Baisalov as ambassador to Washington – an extremely high-profile move that underscores the importance Bishkek places on the race.
On May 25, Baisalov presented credentials US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office, making a direct pitch. According to sources, Trump wished him well. Two days later, Baisalov met with the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Paul Kapur to strengthen Kyrgyzstan’s case.
Meanwhile, in New York, Foreign Minister Zheenbek Kulubaev has actively engaged counterparts from Uruguay, Cuba, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Serbia, Bahrain and China as part of an intensified diplomatic push.
In mid-May, the president of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov laid out his case in a lengthy Facebook post, arguing that the country’s candidacy addresses a broader imbalance within the UN system.
“The continued existence of imbalances in the Council, particularly the insufficient participation of small, developing and landlocked states, undermines the stability of the entire collective security architecture,” he wrote.
Noting Central Asia’s recent progress in resolving border disputes “exclusively through peaceful means,” Japarov said the region offers a model that shows “even the most sensitive security issues can be resolved through negotiations and mutual consideration of interests.”
Winning a seat on the Security Council requires a two-thirds majority in the General Assembly – usually around 125 votes. Kyrgyzstan’s strategy is to lock in a first-round victory and push the race into multiple ballots, where positions could shift and diplomatic exchanges intensify.
She has secured approval of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and most of its 57 members, with the notable exception of Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei, which have pledged support for their fellow ASEAN members.
Bishkek has also invested heavily in outreach to African states, promising alignment with African Union priorities and broader Global South concerns.
After all, the Philippines-Kyrgyzstan contest is not simply about qualifications measured by traditional metrics. It is about the kind of world the United Nations believes it represents – and where it sees the center of geopolitical gravity: the Indo-Pacific or the Eurasian Heartland.
The geopolitical map is changing. The vast Eurasian landmass—stretching from Eastern Europe through Central Asia to Western China—is no longer a passive space between great powers.
It is increasingly a central arena where influence is contested, boundaries are negotiated and new forms of cooperation are taking shape.
Ken Moriyasu, a former correspondent for Japan’s Nikkei newspaper, is a senior fellow for greater Asia at the Hudson Institute.
