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SOUTH AFRICA WINS UN SECURITY COUNCIL SEAT
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South Africa, last week scored a major diplomatic coup by being elected to a position on the Security Council of the United Nations.
Belgium, Indonesia and Italy were also elected to serve as non-permanent members of the Security Council. A fifth non-permanent seat, to be awarded to a member of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States, remains in contention after neither Guatemala nor Venezuela obtained the needed two-thirds majority during 10 rounds of voting.
The Security Council consists of five permanent members and 10 non-permanent members who deliberate and decide on the United Nations course of action in conflict zones that threaten international security.
South Africa is to take one of the non-permanent seats for a two year tenure. The seat is both a vote of confidence in South Africa’s role in world events and an opportunity for the country to show the world what we can do.
"We declare our readiness to serve the peoples of Africa and the world," said Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma in response to the election. “We humbly accept the mandate thrust upon us by the peoples of Africa, the South and the world in general in electing us to this position of responsibility."
South Africa holds strong positions on many issues, particularly those relating to Africa and the African Union, and the challenge that she now faces is to strike a careful balance between these positions and the possible differences of opinion of the “big five” who hold the permanent positions on the council – USA, France, UK, China and Russia.
“It is from challenges like these that opportunities arise,” a government spokesperson said. “We hope that at the end of the two-year term, South Africa will have made an impact on the broader international level, and shown what we are capable of doing.”
South Africa was elected to the non-permanent seat with a vote of 186 out of 192. South Africa will be in a position to lobby for reform at the UN and will work to pursue peace, particularly in Africa and the Middle East. The appointment will also strengthen South Africa’s diplomatic mission at the UN Headquarters as additional senior personnel would be seconded there for the two year period and will therefore gain more experience.
Dlamini-Zuma said that South Africa was humbled and honoured to be elected and would work for peace and reform in the United Nations. She promised that South Africa is ready
and prepared to serve the peoples of Africa and the world.
South Africa is convinced that the multilateral system of global governance remains the best hope for the challenges that face humanity. South Africa will take up her seat on the council in January.
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