Balgarianovinite.com Bulgaria became a full member of the United Nations 70 years ago on Sunday.
The country joined the world body on December 14, 1955, by a resolution of the UN General Assembly. According to information from BTA’s Reference Desk, Bulgaria’s admission to the UN marked the country’s emergence from international isolation in the post-Second World War period and laid the foundations for restoring its international standing and for its full participation in international relations.
The accession
The admission of what was then the People’s Republic of Bulgaria was approved with 50 votes in favour, two against (China and Cuba) and five abstentions (Greece, Holland, the Philippines, the United States and the Dominican Republic). Ethiopia’s delegate also voted in favour of Bulgaria, entering the hall at the moment of the vote.
At the initiative of the Soviet Union, the Security Council had recommended the admission to the UN of 16 states: Albania, Jordan, Ireland, Portugal, Hungary, Italy, Austria, Romania, Bulgaria, Finland, Ceylon, Nepal, Libya, Cambodia, Laos and Spain.
UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold sent a congratulatory message to Foreign Minister Mincho Neichev a day after Bulgaria’s accession. On December 23, 1955, a public meeting was held in Sofia on the occasion of the People’s Republic of Bulgaria’s admission to the UN, addressed by the chair of the UN Society in Bulgaria, Professor Georgi Nadzhakov. In January 1956, Bulgaria’s Council of Ministers decided to appoint Dr Petar Vutov as the country’s first permanent representative to the UN. At the time, he was Minister Plenipotentiary in India. By mid-April that year, Bulgaria already had its permanent representative at the UN.
Bulgaria at the UN
Through its participation in the annual sessions of the UN General Assembly, in forums held under the UN’s auspices, and in the work of the various bodies within the organization’s system, Bulgaria contributes to the promotion of effective multilateralism, trust, security and mutually beneficial cooperation in international relations, the Foreign Ministry says on its website.
Over the 70 years of its UN membership, Bulgaria has been elected three times as a non-permanent member of the Security Council for a two-year term, has served three times as President of the Security Council, and once as President of the General Assembly for one year.
Bulgarian nominations for UN Secretary-General
In 2016, two Bulgarian women were among the 12 candidates for the post of UN Secretary-General, to succeed then Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, whose term expired in that year. These were Irina Bokova, then Director-General of UNESCO, and Kristalina Georgieva, then Vice-President of the European Commission and Commissioner for Budget and Human Resources. At the first-ever public hearings in the history of the world organization, held at UN headquarters, Irina Bokova placed fourth, while Kristalina Georgieva shared seventh and eighth place with Slovenia’s Danilo Turk, with whom she had an equal score.
Ultimately, on October 14, 2016, the UN General Assembly unanimously elected Portugal’s Antonio Guterres as UN Secretary-General. In 2021, he was re-elected for a second term from January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2026.
UN at 80
Earlier in 2025, the United Nations marked 80 years since the signing of its Charter. The anniversary was observed with a special ceremony in the General Assembly Hall in New York. The UN has 193 member states. December 14, 1955: Bulgaria Joins United Nations as Full Member 2025 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2025-12-14 08:50:40 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law