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The newest members of the United Nations (UN) Security Council include countries fighting insurgencies, one of Africa's poorest nations, a Latin America's powerhouse and an emerging European democracy.

They'll join the council in January as it struggles with bitter divisions over Iraq.

In an election whose outcome was foretold months ago, Algeria, Benin, Brazil, Romania and the Philippines won two-year terms on the council on Thursday with support from over 170 of the 191 members of the General Assembly.

Brazil, a founding member of the United Nations, has now been elected to the council nine times since 1945 - which Ambassador Ronaldo Sardenberg said was a record. By contrast, the tiny West African nation of Benin will be sitting in the UN's most important body for only the second time, after a more than 20-year hiatus.

The new members reflect many problems on the global agenda.

Algeria is fighting an insurgency. So is the Philippines, which is also waging a war against militant extremist groups. Benin is one of the world's poorest countries, sandwiched in a region of conflict and instability.

Romania is still struggling to build democratic institutions and a viable economy. Despite having South America's largest economy, Brazil is also struggling to create jobs for millions of unemployed and lift the country's impoverished masses from misery.

In recent years, the Security Council has spent about 60 per cent of its time dealing with wars and other crises in Africa, though this year the debate over the US-led war on Iraq and its aftermath may have topped African issues. Iraq will undoubtedly remain an important issue next year as will the global fight against terrorism.

Brazil's Sardenberg said joining the council is "a great opportunity and also a great challenge" because the deep divisions over Iraq need to be overcome so members can effectively deal with threats to international peace and security.

While critics questioned whether the United Nations still had a role to play after the debacle over Iraq, Benin's UN Ambassador Joel Adechi said Secretary-General Kofi Annan's keynote address at the donors conference now under way in Madrid, Spain, to raise money for Iraq's reconstruction "is a good sign that the UN is still relevant."

"When you are talking of restoring democracy, restoring the rule of law in Iraq, the best tool that you can use is still the UN," he said in an interview.

The Security Council's agenda is mainly governed by global events, though members can choose to focus on specific issues when they hold the council presidency, which rotates monthly.

Algeria's UN Ambassador Abdallah Baali said for his country: "There is one issue of paramount importance, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," where the council has been "absent and ineffective."

The United States has vetoed several recent resolutions, claiming they targeted Israel and weren't balanced.

Algeria also wants the council to focus even more on Africa. So does Brazil.

"We need to continue to do peace-building and nation-building," Sardenberg said in an interview. "It's very important not to leave Africa alone at this time, not only politically but economically."

Benin's Adechi said there is "a very difficult situation" in the region surrounding his country in which issues of conflict, good governance, the rule of law, small arms proliferation and child soldiers need to be addressed.

"But also the linkage between peace and security and development, because in Africa since the end of the Cold War, underdevelopment, or lack of development, is also a cause of conflict now," he said.

For the Philippines, winning a council seat gives the country "elevated status" and validates the government's policies and commitment to democracy and justice.

Ambassador Lauro Baja said his country will likely promote international efforts to tackle collective security and promote the rule of law.

But there are two issues the Philippines hopes won't make it to the Security Council - the nuclear problems in Iran and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, he said.

"We are hoping that diplomacy will work before these issues come to the Security Council," Baja said in an interview.

Romania's UN Ambassador Mihnea Motoc, expressing "joy and pride" at winning a council seat, said it showed support for his country's process of democratization.

The 10 elected council members are nominated by regional groups to give the council broad geographical representation. Romania was selected in January, so Motoc said he has had months to put together a young, energetic team and prepare for his two-year stint.

The newly elected members will join five countries elected last September - Angola, Chile, Germany, Pakistan and Spain - who will remain on the council until the end of 2004 and the five veto-wielding permanent members, the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France.

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