The United Nations General Assembly will vote on Thursday on whether to elect Greece as a non-permanent member of the Security Council for the 2025-2026 term.
The 193-member world body is scheduled to vote to elect five countries to serve two-year terms on the council in a secret ballot.
This will be the third time that Greece sits on the Security Council and, as the Greek Foreign Ministry has noted, it plans to use this opportunity to contribute constructively to the response to global challenges amidst an international environment that is currently beset by instability and increasing conflict, helping to shape decisions and resolutions that impact global policy and ongoing crises.
Greece’s candidacy for the UN Security Council was guided by three Greek words recognised worldwide: Dialogue, the act of exchanging reasonable arguments; Diplomacy, which derives from the Greek word for two and essentially means dialogue between two parties; and Democracy, the power of the people.
The country’s national campaign included dozens of bilateral meetings between the Greek Foreign minister George Gerapetritis and his counterparts from around the world. In April, Greece hosted the 9th ‘Our Ocean’ conference in Athens, bringing the world together to make commitments to protecting ocean health and security.
Why Greece deserves this ‘seat at the table’
A founding member of the UN and a longstanding member of the European Union, Greece is a stable democracy with strong institutions and significant diplomatic capital, as foreign ministry officials note. It is a maritime nation at the crossroads of three continents and has felt the brunt of both the migration crisis and catastrophic climate events.
As has been underlined by the foreign minister, Greece is a pillar of stability in a troubled wider region and consistently follows a principled foreign policy that is based on international law, democracy, human rights and the principles of the UN Charter.
It supports multilateralism and dialogue, recognising the need to promote more deliberative approaches to tackling traditional as well as new global challenges – including AI, cybercrime and disinformation – so that we can move towards achieving global peace, security, development, and protection of human rights.
It is also noted that Greece understands the great international responsibility that comes with sitting on the Security Council. It has a thorough understanding of global issues and the problems in its region, where it is considered a trusted interlocutor.
The six priorities
-Peaceful settlement of disputes through dialogue and diplomacy is among the fundamental principles of the UN Charter.
A staunch supporter of the primacy of International Law, Greece will seek to employ a wide range of tools to prevent and resolve international disputes, including by addressing the root causes and drivers of conflicts. Greece will also promote the Security Council’s central role in conflict prevention and peace-building, through synergies and cooperation with international, regional and sub-regional organizations.
-Firm in its respect for international law and the rules and principles of the UN Charter, Greece is determined to promote a Charter-compliant approach to all matters relating to international peace and security, and will cooperate with all members of the United Nations to uphold the collective security system established by the Charter, emphasising the prohibition of the use or the threat of use of force.
-Fully committed to the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, Greece pledges to work with all stakeholders to prevent and address sexual violence in conflict, to ensure accountability for perpetrators and relief and recovery for survivors, and to enhance the participation and leadership of women as agents of change in conflict resolution, peace-building and mediation efforts.
-Greece’s climate, peace and security priority highlights the need for a global response to food insecurity, water scarcity, epidemics, health risks, displacement and instability that are resulting from changing weather patterns. As a member of the Group of Friends on climate and security, and a signatory to all major international environmental conventions and protocols, Greece is an active participant in ongoing multilateral efforts to strengthen environmental protection on all levels, for the benefit of present and future generations.
-To promote the protection of children in armed conflict, Greece will continue to champion the principles of the best interest of the child, of non-discrimination, of doing no harm and of a child rights-based approach to all peace efforts, in accordance with the 2017 policy on child protection in United Nations peace operations.
-Maritime security is essential for blue growth, energy security, supply operations, and sustainable development. Illegal activities at sea – including piracy, terrorist acts, arms trafficking, human trafficking of migrants, and Illegal Unregulated Unreported (IUU) fishing – pose major maritime security threats. Greece is committed to promoting respect for the Law of the Sea and the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the sole legal and institutional framework governing the world’s oceans and seas.
SOURCE; ANA-MPA
