Such situations have usually been solved by the withdrawal of one of the contenders or the election of a compromise candidate, rather than by agreeing on a split term. Given the pandemic-related limitations on large gatherings, the draft envisages that member states would cast ballots during designated time slots and at a specified venue. election is contested, a country must obtain the votes of two-thirds of the member states present and voting at the General Assembly session to secure a seat on the Council. trailer <<83C98593A93E4FF7A43203076623168E>]/Prev 1013267/XRefStm 2095>> startxref 0 %%EOF 1339 0 obj <>stream 0000007485 00000 n Copyright © 2020, UN Security Council elections 2020: eyes on the prize, the General Assembly decided on a process, The Trumping of international law and democratic institutions, The illusion of a rules-based global order, Stepping up to the UN: Australia’s peacekeeping deployment with Fiji, Morrison’s UNGA games: Trump, China and the future of global cooperation, Elections at the UN: Australia’s approach. In the context of peacekeeping, Kenya has emphasised the need for more predictable funding to support the work of AU peace operations. (See my 2017 special report for ASPI, Elections at the UN: Australia’s approach, for a look at the campaign process.). It pays to have friends on the council and DFAT will be eagerly awaiting the election results.
campaigns, as well as their long-standing interests, indicate some general patterns that might emerge.
the importance of addressing climate change as a security risk. 0000002302 00000 n France, the UK, and the US (P3), which were a united bloc for over a decade, have in some cases been divided on issues such as the Sahel; Iran; women, peace and security; and climate change and security. At the same time, the US has retreated from active engagement in multilateral institutions and increasingly pursues its foreign policy interests unilaterally. This means that a minimum of 129 positive votes are required to win a seat if all 193 UN member states are present and voting. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has emerged as an issue with potentially wide-ranging consequences for international peace and security and which may affect various situations on the Council’s agenda. Election to the Council, as with other principal organs of the UN, requires formal balloting even if candidates have been endorsed by their regional group and are running unopposed. Unusually, the African group is presenting a contest. Many are in the G20. This trend is likely to continue in 2021, given that several candidates have, this issue. Although it is difficult to assess how the Council’s dynamics might evolve next year, the priorities candidates have cited in their campaigns, as well as their long-standing interests, indicate some general patterns that might emerge. Australia and New Zealand formally coordinate with Canada across the UN agenda in the ‘CANZ’ group, which recognises our largely compatible policy settings and expands our coverage of the broad UN agenda. The same method would be used for additional rounds of balloting, if required.
0000068077 00000 n 2020-2021 UN Security Council Elections and the Responsibility to Protect. It means we’ll miss the typically dramatic backdrop of the election—the buzz of a full hall anticipating the contest, the energy of the delegations lobbying and the emotions when the results are announced. Djibouti and Kenya are contesting the single African Group seat.
Candidates traditionally campaign to gather the requisite support. 1296 44 Email contact@securitycouncilreport.org, Design: Point Five, NY This year, Djibouti and Kenya are contesting the one African seat. We would also have a conduit to the council through either country. Over the past several years, a growing number of the Council’s elected members have emphasised the linkages between development and international peace and security. Article 23 of the UN Charter stipulates that members should consider candidates’ contributions to the maintenance of international peace and security and other UN goals. Although it is difficult to assess how the Council’s dynamics might evolve next year, the priorities. And while the Covid-19 pandemic has forced candidates to mount virtual campaigns and changed the mode of balloting, the global interest in council membership remains a constant. 0000010163 00000 n At the same time, the US has retreated from active engagement in multilateral institutions and increasingly pursues its foreign policy interests unilaterally. At least 129 votes are required if all 193 members vote. Post-conflict peacebuilding is an area of interest to, remain a focus of the Council’s work in the coming years. Report . Such a country could then be challenged in subsequent rounds by a new candidate and ultimately not obtain a seat. This year, members will cast their ballots during allocated time slots in the hall. 0000010752 00000 n The Eastern European group seat is elected every second year and is held by Estonia until the end of 2021.
In the coming months, the Council will have to contend with the implications of the pandemic on UN peacekeeping and its humanitarian impact in countries on the Council’s agenda. 0000002462 00000 n Over the past several years, a growing number of the Council’s elected members have emphasised the linkages between development and international peace and security. All seven candidates have served on the Council previously: The Eastern European Group is not contesting any seat this year as its seat, held by Estonia through 2021, comes up for election every other year.
0000006304 00000 n As election season descends on the United Nations headquarters in New York, the most notable vote is for non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council for 2021–2022.
In Hindsight: The Evolving Security Council-PBC Relationship, Briefing by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. This trend is likely to continue in 2021, given that several candidates have highlighted this issue. hތS[Ha����K��39��n6�b�ImJC����5�u�m�.
Web development: Michael Murphy, Publications on country-specific and regional issues in the Council, Council thematic and structural issues and peace making, keeping and building, Background information on the Council, its subsidiary bodies and activities, the General Assembly is scheduled to elect five states to two-year terms on the Security Council, beginning on 1 January 2021. While the UN Charter confers permanent membership on the privileged ‘P5’ (China, France, Russia, the UK and the US), the remaining 188 members have to jockey to fill the 10 non-permanent seats for two-year terms. She was an elections officer for Australia’s successful bid for the Security Council for the 2013–2014 term and a legal adviser and sanctions expert on its Security Council team. Geopolitical tensions and divisions among Council members, notably among the permanent members (P5), seem likely to persist following the departure of five non-permanent members at the end of 2020 and the arrival of five newly elected members in January. The P3 have been receptive to Council discussions of the links between specific aspects of development and peace and security. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has emerged as an issue with potentially wide-ranging consequences for international peace and security and which may affect various situations on the Council’s agenda. 0000009411 00000 n Post-conflict peacebuilding is an area of interest to several candidates and appears likely to remain a focus of the Council’s work in the coming years. Canada, Ireland and Norway are contesting the two WEOG seats. Having like-minded countries on the Security Council helps reinforce the norms that Australia subscribes to, and having friends on the council offers opportunities for cooperation. This has been a prominent theme in candidates’ agendas during recent election cycles and an issue on which elected members traditionally play the leading role. But despite these dynamics, non-permanent members can still influence outcomes by building bridges to secure the P5’s agreement for initiatives that would otherwise fail because of the animus between P5 members. Election to the Council, as with other principal organs of the UN, requires formal balloting even if candidates have been endorsed by their regional group and are running unopposed. In theory it is possible, although unlikely, that a member state running unopposed might not garner the requisite votes in the General Assembly in the first round. 0000005679 00000 n
Among the current candidates, Djibouti, India, Ireland, and Kenya are significant troop contributors to peace operations and are expected to play a role in advancing the Council’s discussions on this topic. Despite resistance by some members, the Council has become progressively readier to acknowledge the relationship between climate change and threats to security and stability in several situations on its agenda. Canada, Ireland and Norway are contesting the two ‘Western European and others group’ seat.
0000012322 00000 n However, this year Djibouti has challenged the African Union’s endorsement of Kenya. They can act as power brokers to secure buy-in from the broader membership to council decisions. 0000016156 00000 n
0000063555 00000 n 0000001198 00000 n 0000009694 00000 n Undoubtedly, Australia would like to see Canada succeed in the WEOG ballot. There’s little appetite for a rotation scheme that would require some WEOG members to serve less frequently than they usually do. However, China and Russia have been more cautious in this regard and have advocated keeping the Council’s agenda more narrowly focused on issues that primarily involve situations of armed conflict. 0000004084 00000 n Canada, Kenya, Mexico, and Norway have all placed climate change high on their list of priorities. In the context of peacekeeping, Kenya has emphasised the need for more predictable funding to support the work of AU peace operations. The non-permanent seats are distributed across regional groups to achieve equitable geographic representation. It’s unlikely that the changeover of five non-permanent members will cure the longstanding divisions among the P5, particularly the US and Russia and China. 0000045356 00000 n Maintenance of international peace and security (video conference) 17 September 2020 Niger - Security Council President - September 2020 Cooperation between the UN … Those divisions have most recently and disturbingly prevented a council response to the pandemic, notwithstanding its implications for international peace and security. from Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect. Seven member states—Canada, Djibouti, India, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico, and Norway—are currently running for the five available seats. 0000013749 00000 n France, the UK, and the US (P3), which were a united bloc for over a decade, have in some cases been divided on issues such as the Sahel; Iran; women, peace and security; and climate change and security. Introduction: The 2020 Elections On 17 June, the 74th session of the UN Gen- eral Assembly is scheduled to hold elections for the Security Council, in a manner resulting from the global COVID-19 pandemic which com- pelled the closure of the UN headquarters in mid-March. Although it is difficult to assess how the Council… China, which has become increasingly assertive globally and in the Council, has often sided with Russia. Canada, Kenya, Mexico, and Norway have all placed climate change high on their list of priorities. %PDF-1.4 %���� environment that are underway in Darfur and possibly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). 0000027601 00000 n The sole exception to this practice since 1966 was the 2016 agreement between Italy and the Netherlands to split the 2017-2018 term. The Strategist — The Australian Strategic Policy Institute Blog.