United Nations (PTI): Japan, Mexico, Uganda, Austria and Turkey will join the United Nations powerful Security Council as non permanent members on Thursday for a two-year term replacing South Africa, Indonesia, Belgium, Italy and Panama who retire on Wednesday.

The 15-member Council comprises five permanent and ten non permanent members, five of whom retire each year and their replacements are chosen by the General Assembly.

The newly elected members will join Libya, Viet Nam, Burkina Faso, Costa Rica and Croatia whose two-year term expires on Dec 31, 2009.

As of Thursday, the composition of the Council will be the United States, Russia, Britain, France and China (permanent members), Libya, Viet Nam, Burkina Faso, Costa Rica and Croatia (due to retire on December 31, 2009) and Japan, Mexico, Uganda, Austria and Turkey (due to retire on December 31, 2010).