Kazakhstan's membership in the United Nations Security Council

Kazakhstan in UN-9th March 2018

On June 28, 2016, at a vote at UN headquarters in New York, Kazakhstan, having won 138 votes out of 193 UN member states, for the first time was elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2017–2018.^[1] Kazakhstan's work in the UN Security Council began on January 1, 2017.^[2] Kazakhstan is the first state of Central Asia region that was elected to UN Security Council. As a non-permanent member of UN Security Council Kazakhstan pays a great attention to the regional challenges and the issue of Afghanistan, in particular such threats like terrorism growth, illegal drugs production, human trafficking, and also the presence of "Islamic State" and Al-Qaida.^[3]

Flags in UN

UN Security Council

The UN Security Council is a standing body of the United Nations, which is entrusted with the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security.^[4] The Security Council consists of 15 members, 5 of which are permanent (United Kingdom, China, Russia, United States, France), and 10 are non-permanent, elected by the UN General Assembly for a two-year period for 5 countries each year.^[5] In 2017, non-permanent members of the UN Security Council include Bolivia, Egypt, Italy, Kazakhstan, Senegal, Ukraine, Uruguay, Sweden, Ethiopia, Japan.

UN building

History of Kazakhstan's membership in the UN

Kazakhstan became a member of the UN on March 2, 1992. On April 15, 1992 Ms Akmaral Arystanbekova was appointed as the first Permanent Representative of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the United Nations by the decree of the President of Kazakhstan. On June 5, 1992 was signed the Presidential Decree on the establishment of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the UN. On February 16, 1993, the UN Office in Kazakhstan was opened. Mr Norimasa Shimamura is the UN Resident Coordinator in the Republic of Kazakhstan since December 2015,^[6] and Mr Kairat Umarov is a Permanent Representative of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the United Nations.

Priorities of Kazakhstan in the UN Security Council

Kazakhstan has identified the following priorities for its membership in the UN Security Council.^[7]

• achieving a world free of nuclear weapons;
• eliminating the threat of a global war and settling local conflicts;
• promoting the interests of Central Asia while strengthening regional security and cooperation;
• countering terrorism;
• peace and security in Africa;
• ensuring an inextricable link between security and sustainable development; and
• adapting the Security Council and the entire UN system to the threats and challenges of the XXI century.

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