Belgium elected to the UN Security Council

Type of event: ELECTION
Where: UN General Assembly
Belgium elected as non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council

Belgium was elected this Friday, 8th of June 2018, as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the period 2019-2020. Elected with 181 votes, Belgium received wide support among the 193 Member States of the UN General Assembly.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Didier Reynders welcomed the election results as an expression of the trust given to our country by the international community. The Minister warmly thanks all countries for their precious support. He also congratulates Germany, South Africa, the Dominican Republic, and Indonesia for their election.

Belgium is mindful of the responsibilities entrusted to it by the international community. Alongside the five permanent members and the nine other non-permanent members of the Security Council, Belgium is committed to working tirelessly towards maintaining peace and international security, in accordance with its values of peace, human rights and the principles of the United Nations Charter. Belgium is dedicated to fully carry out the tasks conferred upon it by the Security Council.

In fulfilling its mandate, Belgium will strive to be a constructive, reliable and open partner, inside the Council and for the international community as a whole. Reaching consensus on peace is possible only when it is based on partnership, exchange and inclusion, with all relevant actors. This spirit of dialogue, which underpinned our campaign, will continue to be the cornerstone of our action during our two-year mandate.

To achieve a lasting peace, it is essential to place conflict prevention at the heart of the Security Council’s activities. The instrument of mediation must be better known and promoted. We will fully employ the capacities of our diplomacy to this end. Fostering peace is an interdisciplinary exercise and requires a global approach, prioritising political solutions and sustainable development. Specifically, the protection of civilians and the impact of conflict on children will be at the heart of Belgium’s mandate, along with the role played by women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts. Respect for international humanitarian law and the fight against impunity, the fight against terrorism and violent extremism, non-proliferation and the prohibition of chemical weapons, and the impact of climate change on security will also feature among the issues of special concern for Belgium.

The campaign led by Belgium in the past years to promote its candidacy has convinced and has reminded the international community of the added value that our country can bring to the peaceful resolution of conflicts. In line with its engagements, Belgium will work toward “Fostering Consensus and Acting for Peace”.

Note to the editors :
The Security Council foremost competence is to determine the existence of a threat to peace or of an act of aggression. It calls upon the parties to a dispute to settle it by peaceful means and recommends methods of adjustment or terms of settlement. In some cases, the Security Council can resort to imposing sanctions or even authorize the use of force to maintain or restore international peace and security.

UN Peace and Security
UN Security Council