Norway elected to UN Security Council

Solberg sends her congratulations and stresses a commitment to peace

Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB scanpix
Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Søreide and Prime Minister Erna Solberg held a press conference after Norway was elected as a member of the United Nations Security Council for the period 2021–2022.

REGJERINGEN.NO

On June  17, Norway was elected as a member of the United Nations Security Council for the period 2021–2022.

“We would like to thank the U.N. member states for the confidence they have shown in us. The world needs more international cooperation to promote peace and security. We will make use of our seat on the Security Council to strengthen this work,” said Prime Minister Erna Solberg.

The United Nations General Assembly in New York elected new members to the U.N. Security Council for the period 2021–2022. Norway, Ireland, and Canada put forward their candidates for the two seats available for the Western European and Others Group. Norway was elected with 130 votes. Ireland was elected with 128 votes.

“I congratulate Ireland, India, and Mexico on their successful election to the Security Council today. We look forward to cooperating closely in the council. Serving on the council is one of the most demanding responsibilities a country can shoulder in international politics,” Solberg said.

“We were three very strong candidates competing for two seats on the Security Council. Canada and Ireland are close partners of Norway in international cooperation. We will strive to maintain our strong relationship with both countries in the time ahead, both within and outside the U.N. Security Council,” Solberg said.

The government will give priority in the Security Council to areas where Norway has particular experience and expertise.
Norway will use the experience gained from many years of engagement in peace and reconciliation efforts to build bridges and seek solutions to the seemingly intractable conflicts that appear on the Security Council’s agenda. International law and human rights will form the basis for our efforts. Norway will cooperate closely with all members of the Security Council and will promote constructive cooperation. Norway will give special priority to efforts to strengthen the protection of civilians, including children, and to promote women’s role and participation in international peace and security work.

In addition, Norway will work to ensure that the Security Council devotes more attention to considering how climate change affects international peace and security.

“I would like to thank everyone who has helped to promote Norway and Norwegian foreign policy since we first launched our candidature in 2007. This includes our Nordic neighbors, in particular, Sweden. It is important that small countries like Norway also take on the responsibility of sitting on the Security Council at regular intervals. As a small country with an open economy, we are dependent on effective international cooperation and good relations between U.N. member states. The result of today’s election shows that Norway enjoys broad confidence within the international community. This gives us a good starting point, as we take on this challenging job,” said Eriksen Søreide.

This article originally appeared in the June 26, 2020, issue of The Norwegian American. To subscribe, visit SUBSCRIBE or call us at (206) 784-4617.