The first round of voting has finished up at United Nations General Assembly as Canada waits to learn if it will earn one of two coveted seats on the Security Council.

The secret ballot, which requires a two-thirds majority for an outright win, will determine if Canada can land one of two non-permanent seats available to pro-Western nations

Germany and Portugal are vying for the same opportunity, though Canada has made a strong push for membership. Successful applicants will have to win support in the vote from the 192 members of the United Nations General Assembly.

Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon said Tuesday he's confident Canada will rejoin the council.

He said Canada's campaign has "gone well."

Canada is believed to be in a good position because it is facing two European competitors.

"There is concern that the Council would be too European-weighed if both Germany and Portugal were to prevail," Michelle Fanzo of the World Policy Institute told CTV News Channel Tuesday.

Fanzo said those two countries are running on very different platforms.

"Germany is a tough (competitor) to be up against . . . they have very strong and historic overseas development and aid activities and they are Europe's number one economic power," she said. "Portugal is really running on a platform of ‘Don't forget about the small nations.'"

If successful in its bid for membership, Canada will start a two-year term on the Security Council in January. It would be the seventh time that Canada has served since 1948.

Paul Heinbecker, a former Canadian ambassador to the UN, said the vote may be close but he believes the odds are in Canada's favour for Tuesday's vote.

"I'd be betting on Canada, but I'm not sure I'd put a lot of money on it," Heinbecker told CTV's Canada AM during an interview from Ottawa.

Heinbecker said that Canada has a positive, long-term legacy at the UN, which bodes well for the outcome of Tuesday's vote. However, some of the policy decisions made by Ottawa in recent years may have alienated voters who will help determine whether Canada gets the seat it desires.

Heinbecker said Canada is doing far less peacekeeping work than it used to, it has shifted the focus of its aid policy towards countries in Latin America at the expense of those in Africa, and the Canadian government is considered pro-Israel.

While Canada has likely secured vote commitments from other members, Heinbecker said that a secret ballot means that the outcome of the vote is somewhat unpredictable.

"Whether people will honour those commitments when the time comes remains to be seen," he said.

There are 15 members of the Security Council in total.

Five nations have permanent membership: China, France, the Russian Federation, the United States and the United Kingdom.

The remaining 10 seats are non-permanent and are assigned to nations for two-year terms.

With files from The Canadian Press