Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has outlined the country’s priorities for its upcoming two-year term in the United Nations Security Council.
Amid a formal reception to celebrate the occasion, Rama described Albania’s election as a non-permanent member of the Security Council as the foremost success of Albanian diplomacy. He also thanked Eastern European countries for their unanimous support for Albania’s membership.
Rama described Albania’s election as a significant achievement for the Western Balkans, assuring the region would be represented through “concrete ideas and solutions” in regional and international forums.
Albanian Parliament Speaker Gramoz Ruci similarly praised the vote for Albania, describing the election a “deserved success” for the country.
“All Albanian institutions have merit in this achievement. They not only lobbied but knew how to create fair perceptions and convinced the 175 member states for the guarantees that Albania offers as a contributor to democracy, development and peace,” he said.
The EU Ambassador to Albania Luigi Soreca called the election “a historical day for the country.”
As outlined by Rama, Albania’s six priorities during its term as a Security Council member will be:
- Promoting gender equality at the upper levels of decision making;
- Protecting human rights and international law;
- Promoting religious tolerance and contributing to the fight against terrorism and fundamentalism;
- Bolstering the fight against antisemitism and any form of anti-Muslim discrimination;
- Increasing efforts toward environmental security and tackling climate change; and
- Strengthening international friendship and strategic alliances between Albania and other states, such as the US and EU.
The Security Council is the only UN body with the authority to make legally binding decisions, such as imposing sanctions and authorizing the use of force against another country or actor. The Council has five permanent members with veto-power, including the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia. There are ten non-permanent members on the Council, with five elected every two years.
Albania was elected by the UN General Assembly alongside Brazil, Gabon, Ghana and the United Arab Emirates. All five countries ran unopposed, and are set to replace Estonia, Niger, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tunisia and Vietnam.
In celebrating Albania’s win, Rama underscored that EU politics are a “restless sea to navigate,” while adding that member states themselves often fail to perfectly embody European values.
Albania will serve as a temporary member of the UN Security Council from 2022 to 2023, starting its mandate in January 2022.
“Women, Peace and Security: Security Council Open Debate 2019” by UN Women Gallery is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
