UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- India, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico and Norway on Monday began to assume responsibilities as non-permanent members of the Security Council.

Their two-year term officially started on Jan. 1. But Monday is the first working day of the council for 2021 after the Christmas and New Year break.

A flag installation ceremony was held at noon to mark the start of their responsibilities.

Kazakh UN ambassador Magzhan Ilyassov, who presided over the ceremony, congratulated the five new council members and wished them success in realizing their priorities in their two-year term, which he described as "two crucial years of modern history."

2021 is a year of hope for all countries and for the United Nations. International peace, security and sustainable development in 2021 will largely depend on the decisions of the United Nations and the Security Council with its permanent and non-permanent members, he said.

"Drawing on the hard but valuable lessons learned in 2020, we must analyze and use in our future work the best examples of collaboration, compromise and dedication to causes for further promoting and ensuring global peace, security and sustainable development. We need some real action to translate our current hopes into true benefits and positive changes for people and to implement the (UN) secretary-general's agenda for peace," he said.

The permanent representatives of the five countries made short speeches before they installed their respective national flags outside the Security Council Chamber.

The five countries replaced Belgium, the Dominican Republic, Germany, Indonesia and South Africa.

The 15-member Security Council has five permanent members -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States, and 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms by the UN General Assembly. Five non-permanent members are replaced every year.

Estonia, Niger, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Tunisia, and Vietnam are in the middle of their two-year term as non-permanent members.