New York, 7 January 2022 (TDI): The UN held a flag installation ceremony for the newly elected members of the Security Council On Tuesday, 4th January 2022. UAE, Albania, Brazil, Gabon, and Ghana were selected as the five non-permanent member nations to the Council for the term 2022-2023.
The election was held in June 2021. Winning a Security Council seat gives countries a strong voice in matters dealing with international peace and security. They are responsible for addressing issues such as terrorism, child soldier recruitment, and conflicts in Syria, Yemen, Libya, and other parts of the world.
UN Flag Installation Ceremony
The ceremony was established in 2018 by Kazakhstan during its January 2018 UNSC presidency. The objective of the ceremony is to recognize the mandate given to the countries by the international community to fulfill the important and responsible task of maintaining global peace and security.
The election of any country to serve as a non-permanent member of the Security Council testifies to trust placed on the governments by the remaining 192 member states to commit to the ideas outlined in the UN Charter, especially in challenging times.
During the ceremony, the representatives of each selected country made brief remarks, installed their countries’ flags alongside those of other members outside the council chambers, and posed for a group photo. All Covid-19 protocols were duly observed.
Albania’s Permanent Representative
Speaking at the ceremony, Ferit Hoxha, Albania’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, said, “When things that we used to take for granted or no longer secure, the role of a Security Council becomes even more important.”
“Having a seat at the table puts any country under the special spotlight, but it cannot overshadow the huge responsibility that comes with it. As such, we are determined to play an active and constructive role, be open, collaborative, and persistent while carrying over our values and principles to the work of the Council.”
Brazil’s Permanent Representative
Addressing the Ambassadors, Ronaldo Costa Filho, Brazil’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, said, “We come to this Council as a vibrant democracy in which the prevalence of human rights and peaceful resolution of conflicts are constitutional principles that guide our international relations.”
“Our history speaks for itself. Despite being a continental country and having almost 17,000 kilometers of territorial borders. Brazil has lived in peace with all its ten neighboring countries for over 100 years.”
Gabon’s Permanent Representative
Speaking at the ceremony, Michel Xavier Biang, Gabon’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, said, “where the security and dignity of the peoples of the world are at risk, we come to the Security Council not to fill a quota. But to give a voice, a face, as well as the commitment and hope to the countless who await action commensurate with their fear and insecurity.”
Ghana’s Permanent Representative
Speaking at the ceremony, Harold Adlai Agyeman, Ghana’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, said, ” Ghana comes onto the Council with a burden; the burden and expectations of the estimated 2 billion people who live in fragile contexts and conflict areas around the world, and the over 20 percent of the population of Africa who continue to endure the ravaging effects of conflicts.”
Permanent Representative of United Arab Emirates
Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, United Arab Emirates (UAE) stated that “The UAE’s conduct on the Council will reflect who we are as a country and a people; open, inclusive and bound by the belief that we are stronger and united. We will seek a convergence of views and a unified Council voice so that its decisions are met with the broadest possible support.”
Albania is joining for the first time, while Brazil is taking the 11th turn. Gabon and Ghana each have been on the council three times before and the UAE once. Albania, Brazil, Gabon, Ghana, and the UAE replaced Estonia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tunisia, Niger, and Vietnam, which completed their two-year term. The newly elected will serve on the Council during the 2022-2023 period.
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