UN General Assembly elects non-permanent members
UN General Assembly on Tuesday elected Bolivia, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan and Sweden to serve during 2017-2018 in the UN Security Council, while the contest between Netherlands and Italy has yet to be officially resolved.
The two countries vying for one of two seats representing the Western European and others Group (WEOG) agreed to split the two-year term and balloting was “suspended until further notice” shortly after 5 p.m. EDT (2200 GMT). Sweden resoundingly won the other WEOG seat on the first ballot.
The elected five are to join on Jan. 1, 2017 the five permanent members of the 15-nation council — Britain, China, France, Russiaand the United States and replace the five non-permanent members elected in 2014 to serve during 2015-2016 — Angola, Malaysia, New Zealand, Spain and Venezuela, who are ending their two-year terms on Dec. 31.
The 193-member General Assembly mandated in 2014 that elections beginning in 2016 for non-permanent Security Council seats be held six months in advance of the term in order to give the elected countries more time to prepare for their new responsibilities. Previously balloting was held in October.
Before the meeting was suspended, Norway, as chair of WEOG, announced a meeting for 10 a.m. EDT (1500 GMT) Wednesday to discuss the proposal which would have to be approved by the group and then voted on by the General Assembly where a more than two-thirds majority of those voting is required for election.
Italy and Netherlands were tied 95-95 after a total of five rounds of secret ballots to determine which country will join the other five non-permanent council members — Egypt, Japan, Senegal, Ukraine and Uruguay, whose two-year terms will end on Dec. 31, 2017.
Bert Koenders(L), foreign minister of Netherlands, speaks during the election of non-permanent members of UN Security Council at the UN headquarters in New York. June 28, 2016. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)
“The signal of this assembly this afternoon has been quite clear and I think it was reflected in the last vote this afternoon 95 votes for Italy and 95 votes for the Kingdom of the Netherlands,” said Foreign Minister Bert Koenders of Netherlands. “That means it is a clear signal that you appreciate both our countries in representing you in the Security Council.”
“Therefore, my colleague (Italian Foreign Minister Paolo) Gentiloni and myself would like to put forward a proposal following subject to full endorsement of WEOG that we would like to split the term,” said the Dutch foreign minister.
He proposed Italy to serve the first half, next year, and the Netherlands would serve in 2018 subject to WEOG endorsement and approval of the General Assembly.
Koenders’ proposal was greeted by applause.
“I confirm on behalf of the Republic of Italy what my colleague and friend Bert Koenders just said,” Gentiloni said, expressing thanks to the assembly for “your patience and your support.”
“We wanted maybe to give also a message of unity between European countries and so we took the opportunity of this perfect parity, 95-95 vote, to decide a proposal that gives also this message,” said Gentiloni, adding that the campaign “was an extraordinary opportunity to strengthen relations with all UN countries.”
“The competitive election has many negative things but it has an extraordinarily positive thing in that it gives an opportunity to know better all the membership of the UN,” the foreign minister said.
He later told reporters outside the great hall of the assembly. “We have no doubt this agreement will be implemented.”
Asked if the European unity message was an “anti-Brexit” message, referring to last week’s UK referendum decision to exit the European Union, he said “This is not anti-Brexit, it is pro unity.”
Netherlands’ Koenders told reporters the Italy-Netherlands accord came at “a very, very complex time in the UN Security Council. We both campaigned for a strong United Nations, we need a strong UN in a time of geopolitical complex conflicts, disarmament discussions, discussion on the development goals and more than ever unity is needed in the Security Council to solve the problems of the world.”
Earlier, Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom of Sweden said after her nation’s election, “We will now do what we promised to do; we will work on prevention, peacekeeping, peacebuilding; we will work on security issues and climate and new threats to security; we will work on women’s peace and security.”
“I will instruct my staff here to work on a transparent and inclusive way to talk with countries, not only about them,” she added. “We are now ready to serve and we will do it based on the values and principles of the UN Charter.” Media agencies
Recommendations of #7thPayCommission got the Cabinet nod today, which will benefit over 1 crore govt employees and pensioners.
Recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission got the Cabinet nod on Wednesday, which will benefit over one crore government employees and pensioners. The deci
NORTHEASTTODAY.IN
Suicide Bombers attack Ataturk airport:
“It is clear that this attack is not aimed at achieving any result but only to create propaganda material against our country using simply the blood and pain of innocent people.” – President Erdogan http://aje.io/4qre
Prime minister says there are indications that suicide attacks at Ataturk Airport were carried out by ISIL.
AJE.IO
Naresh Kumar Sagar: Suicide Bombers attack Ataturk airport: Turkey suicide blast: three suicide bombers attacked turkey Ataturk airport.ISIL or Kurd separatist are behind the attack the authorities thirty-six victim are killed and sixty are injured.Ataturk most busy airport all flights suspended. Bombers after the gun battle with security person switched detonated their explosive vest thus massive explosion at her busiest airport.
Get the whole picture – and other photos from Naresh Kumar Sagar
PIC.TWITTER.COM/KT7GZH9C7Z|BY NARESH KUMAR SAGAR
Get the whole picture – and other photos from Naresh Kumar Sagar
PIC.TWITTER.COM/7PD9YBY5GT|BY NARESH KUMAR SAGAR
Get the whole picture – and other photos from Naresh Kumar Sagar
PIC.TWITTER.COM/CXB0BLJRR8|BY NARESH KUMAR SAGAR
Get the whole picture – and other photos from Naresh Kumar Sagar
PIC.TWITTER.COM/ZSFH3WTL32|BY NARESH KUMAR SAGAR
Naresh Kumar Sagar shared Aung San Suu Kyi’s Words‘s post.
Leadership is about people, not protocol.
Leadership is about people, not protocol The Nation The recent visit by Myanmar State Counsellor and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi showed the junta-led Thai government’s gaping inability to deal…
WWW.NATIONMULTIMEDIA.COM|BY NATION MULTIMEDIA GROUP PUBLIC COMPANY LIMITED, NATIONMULTIMEDIA.COM, THAILAND
Get the whole picture – and other photos from Naresh Kumar Sagar
PIC.TWITTER.COM/W9DWJRL6SM|BY NARESH KUMAR SAGAR
Get the whole picture – and other photos from Naresh Kumar Sagar
PIC.TWITTER.COM/MIXOYTZQPM|BY NARESH KUMAR SAGAR
Get the whole picture – and other photos from Naresh Kumar Sagar
PIC.TWITTER.COM/KUBYCWPMEG|BY NARESH KUMAR SAGAR
Exhibition Dr S P Mukherjee life at Teen Murti https://t.co/bwb8CrVF4p
Get the whole picture – and other photos from Naresh Kumar Sagar
PIC.TWITTER.COM/BWB8CRVF4P|BY NARESH KUMAR SAGAR
Naresh Kumar Sagar shared The Hindu‘s post.
The world is in general equilibrium. A small change in one parameter effects changes in all variables. So Krishna advised: Sukh Dukhe…,” Dr. Swamy said in his tweet.
A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s apparent snub, BJP MP Subramanian Swamy on Tuesday turned philosophical, quoting Lord Krishna.
THEHINDU.COM|BY PTI
Naresh Kumar Sagar shared his post.
Naresh Kumar Sagar
Suicide Bombers attack Ataturk airport: Turkey suicide blast: three suicide bombers attacked turkey Ataturk airport.ISIL or Kurd separatist are behind the attac…
Suicide Bombers attack Ataturk airport: Turkey suicide blast: three suicide bombers attacked turkey Ataturk airport.ISIL or Kurd separatist are behind the attack the authorities thirty six victim are killed and sixty are injured.Ataturk most busy airport all flights suspended. Bombers after gun battle with security person switched detonated their explosive vest thus massive explosion at her busiest airport.
Naresh Kumar Sagar shared Channel NewsAsia‘s post.
Made-in-China plane makes first commercial flight from Chengdu to Shanghai. It still lacks certification to fly in US skies.
More than half were paying customers who were aware they were flying in a new plane, an airline spokesman told AFP.
CHANNELNEWSASIA.COM
Naresh Kumar Sagar shared Al Jazeera English‘s post.
The United Nations raised alarm as a series of racist incidents against minorities and foreigners were reported in the United Kingdom, following the country’s decision to leave the European Union.
Senior UN official says rising racism and xenophobia following UK referendum is “unacceptable”.
AJE.IO
Naresh Kumar Sagar shared U.S. Department of State‘s post.
The United States strongly condemns today’s terrorist attack on Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport. We extend our condolences to the families of the victims and our hop…
United States Condemns Terrorist Attack on Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport
STATE.GOV
Naresh Kumar Sagar shared a link.
BANGKOK – Myanmar is pushing back against a report the U.S. will demote the country to the lowest level on Washington’s human trafficking index. Placing Myanmar alongside Iran, North Korea and Syria –
Naresh Kumar Sagar shared Geo News English‘s post.
Afghan media groups decry rise in violence against journalists
KABUL: Violence and intimidation against journalists in Afghanistan have spiked sharply this…
GEO NEWS
Comments
Post a Comment