Ethiopia has officially begun its two-year term as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on January 02, 2017.
The new UN Secretary-General, Mr. Antonio Guterres also began his duties as the 9th Secretary-General of the United Nations on the same day and he did so with a strong appeal for peace in 2017.
Ethiopia together with other members of the Council will do everything it can to respond to Mr. Guterres’ appeal for peace and meaningfully contribute to the resolution of these conflict and crisis situations.
It is to be recalled that the United Nations General Assembly elected five non-permanent members to the Security Council on June 28, 2016, at United Nations Headquarters in New York. Ethiopia was elected with 185 votes out of 190 members of the General Assembly. The election provided the successful candidates, Ethiopia, Bolivia, Sweden and Kazakhstan with Italy and the Netherlands splitting the fifth seat, with a two-year mandate for membership of the Security Council.
The election showcased a clear indication of recognition of Ethiopia’s increasing reputation for helping to maintain international peace and security. Ethiopia’s participation and experience in peacekeeping in Africa also played a significant element in its successful bid.
Ethiopia provides a contingent of 8,321 personnel, both men and women, involved in UN peacekeeping duties, one of the largest in the world. In addition, Ethiopia is a founding member and host country for the African Union.
In fact Ethiopia is a major pillar in the continent’s peace and security architecture. In the same way, Ethiopia has also played a significant contribution towards mediating conflict in the Horn of Africa including in South Sudan and in providing peacekeepers for AU missions.
Ethiopia will exert every possible effort to make meaningful and constructive contribution to the work of the Council, in close cooperation and collaboration with other members. The United Nations cannot handle today’s peace and security challenges alone and in the spirit of chapter III of the UN Charter, Ethiopia will continue to advocate for greater strategic coherence between regional mechanisms, the African Union and the United Nations in addressing the peace and security challenges on the continent.
Source: MFA Ethiopia
