Bosnia and Herzegovina Elected Non-Permanent Member of the UN Security Council

Bosnia and Herzegovina will represent the Eastern European group of countries in the UN. Until the end of this year, this group of 23 countries will be represented by Croatia.

The non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council undoubtedly represents Bosnia and Herzegovina’s  greatest foreign policy achievement since it has gained independence in 1992. This achievement was preceded by a whole range of months-long coordinated diplomatic activities aimed at establishing our country as a credible partner that can be entrusted with membership of the UN Security Council.

During the campaign, each opportunity to request support for B&H’s candidature at bilateral and multilateral level was taken, ensuring the written support from more than 100 countries. In parallel with candidature activities, the MFA of B&H has been undertaking necessary program, administrative, and personnel measures in order to create all the prerequisites for successfully carrying out our mandate in such an important body.

 “Non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council is of immense importance for B&H, which will for two years be among those countries that decide on all the most important issues in global policy”, stated Minister of Foreign Affairs of B&H Sven Alkalaj, who attended the voting.

Minister Alkalaj added that “our attitudes and our voice will be heard not only in the UN Headquarters in New York but beyond. A successfully accomplished mandate as a non-permanent Security Council member will strengthen B&H’s image, reputation, and influence in the world and open numerous political and economic doors that would be difficult to open otherwise.”

 “Finally, presence and participation of small countries, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the activities of the UN security Council is particularly important for maintaining balance within the UN SC which, apart from permanent members and the world’s leading countries, should also give an opportunity  to small countries to present their attitudes and to participate in making significant decisions as full-fledged partners.”

B&H’s accession to the UN Security Council can also be seen as an acknowledgement from the International Community to our country for the achievements that have been made thus far in the Euro-Atlantic integration process as well as a new impetus to speeding up that process.

Membership of the UN Security Council also enables Bosnia and Herzegovina, as a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural country with rich historical heritage, to transfer the experiences it has gained throughout the process of post-conflict peace building and strengthening trust between different communities.

In addition, UN Security Council membership represents a challenge for all institutions in B&H since it requires joint and coordinated activities. At the same time, it is an opportunity for B&H to improve its own diplomatic and other institutional capacities and to take on a more active role after the conclusion of its mandate in other international organizations based on acquired knowledge and experience.

We are certain that the experience gained in the UN Security Council will also enable B&H to view numerous global problems and their political, military, humanitarian, and civil aspects in a more comprehensive manner as well as suggest measures and participate actively in resolving particular areas of conflict with its newly-gained credibility.