Bosnia: "Small countries should be heard at Security Council"

Bosnian Foreign Minister Sven Alkalaj said on Thursday that his country "has a unique experience that fit the institutional memory" of the UN Security Council and strongly believes that "small countries should be heard" at the UN body.

The Bosnian foreign minister made the statement to the press shortly after the 192-member UN General Assembly elected Bosnia and Herzegovina as non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for two-year terms staring on Jan. 1 next year. Bosnia has never served on the 15-nation Security Council.

"We are running for the SC (Security Council) because Bosnia and Herzegovina has a unique experience that fit the institutional memory of this UN body," Alkalaj said. "For several years, from 1992 to 1995 we were almost the daily subject, and although, some 15 years after the war, we are still one of the topics at the UN Security Council -- we are also on the firm and peaceful path toward Euro-Atlantic integration. All that actually counts toward additional responsibility that we are fully aware of."

"Bearing in mind our painful experience, when the crisis is knocking on the door, Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Security Council will not hesitate: We are going to be a strong voice of preventive diplomacy," he said. "Indeed, during our tenure at the Security Council, we will act with utmost sensitivity, when it comes to the early warning signs, if they appear anywhere in the world."

"We are fully aware that we are going to be only one voice out of 15 at the Security Council," he said. "But we strongly believe -- an important one in the daily work of building a consensus of conscience at this most important body of the United Nations."

"We strongly believe that small and medium size countries, member states of the United Nations should get a chance to participate in decision making process at the Security Council," the minister said. "That should be a sign of more transparency and democratization of the decision making process at the Council."

"In that light, we are glad that Bosnia and Herzegovina was endorsed by whole Eastern European Group, consisted by 23 countries. Although we will act in our national capacity, we are going to be a part of a broader consensus that is growing in our neighborhood where all the countries share the same desire of peaceful and prosperous life," he said.

"Beside other things, at the Security Council -- we would like to be reminder to distinguished diplomatic representatives of the member states -- of how important is to act on time," he said. "We all know what has happened in Srebrenica, or for that matter in Rwanda in 1995, when the international community was hesitating."

Bosnia, together with Brazil, Gabon, Lebanon and Nigeria were elected on Thursday as new non-permanent members of the UN Security Council for two-year terms starting on Jan. 1 next year.

The five countries ran unopposed in their respective regions when voting took place at the UN General Assembly on Thursday morning at the UN Headquarters in New York. This marks the first time since 2004 that there had been a Security Council election with no contested seats.

The Security Council, the world body's most powerful organ, is responsible for decisions on issues of war and peace, sanctions against nations and peacekeeping. Its decisions can be legally binding on all U.N. members.

The council has five permanent members, Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States. Because of their staggered two-year terms, half the council's 10 non-permanent seats change hands every year.

The 10 non-permanent members of the Security Council are filled by regional groups for two-year terms, and five non-permanent members are elected by the 192-member General Assembly every year.

Source: Xinhua