Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is in the U.S. this week for visits to California and the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York.
While at the UN, he's expected to lobby for Australia to be given a temporary seat on the Security Council for the first time in over a decade.
The council has five permanent members and 10 temporary members at any given time.
Here's what to know about the council and Australia's bid.
Background
The UN has six main bodies, including the General Assembly and the International Court of Justice.
The Security Council is also one of these bodies and is responsible for the "maintenance of international peace and security".
It's the only body with power to make decisions that member states (countries) must implement.
It has 15 members (some permanent, some serving two-year terms).
The last time Australia had a seat on the council was 2013-14, a period covering the downing of MH17, a commercial flight with Australians onboard.
Current temporary members
The Security Council's five permanent members are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The council's 10 current temporary members are Bahrain, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Greece, Latvia, Liberia, Pakistan, Panama and Somalia.
Elections
Each year, five of the temporary seats swap out with other countries, and an election is held for the rest of the seats for the following year.
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Bahrain, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Latvia and Liberia were elected in 2025 and started their terms in 2026, finishing at the end of 2027.
Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama and Somalia were elected in 2024 and started their terms in 2025, finishing at the end of 2026.
Different regional groupings are eligible to run for election in a given year, so that the Council is representative of as much of the world as possible.
Australia is part of the "Western European and Other States" group.
Countries in this group can't run for election until 2028 (for the 2029-30 term), but can state their intention to do so and begin campaigning.
That's where Australia is up to.
At the UN General Assembly last year – the annual meeting in September where countries get together to discuss global issues – Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Australia wanted a 2029-30 spot.
Aus bid
Australia's bid is expected to centre on AI and online safety, according to national news reports.
In Wong's speech flagging Australia's bid last year, she said: "To ensure AI transforms the tools of conflict and diplomacy for the better, the Security Council must lead by example".
At that same UN General Assembly, Communications Minister Anika Wells hosted an event called 'Protecting children in the digital age', promoting the then-upcoming under-16s social media ban.
After leaving Australia on Friday, Albanese will head to the UN General Assembly, with a stop at Apple headquarters on the way there.
Official releases suggest Australia's tech-driven Security Council election pitch will be the focus of his trip.
For example, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade says the PM will meet with Apple's executive chairman and former CEO Tim Cook to discuss "Apple's new parental-controls for children, in part inspired by Australia's groundbreaking reform."
Then, at the UN, the PM will discuss "Australia's commitment to... building a safe digital future" with other countries.
