Next week begins the UN High Level Week. Then Norway’s fight for a place on the Security Council will also be launched.
It will not be until June 2020 that the United Nations General Assembly will vote on the two vacant seats on the Security Council. But the election campaign has already started. It could end in a sprint showdown between Norway, Canada and Ireland.
When world leaders gather for a general debate at the UN in New York on Monday, Norwegian Foreign Ministry lobbyists will crowd the halls, armed with arguments that Norway should get a seat on the Council UN Security Council for the fifth time.
Norway’s candidacy will also provide a clear backdrop for Prime Minister Erna Solberg’s (H) speech to the UN General Assembly. In addition, Solberg will also have a number of bilateral meetings with heads of state and government to garner their support.
No favorites
– It will be very exciting and the election campaign will be very real. None of the three are clear favorites, and no one is far behind the others, Sverre Lodgaard, senior researcher at the Norwegian Foreign Policy Institute (NUPI), tells NTB.
Other experts also see Canada and Ireland as tough adversaries, and little will be left to chance in the battle to win the most votes among the U.N.’s 193 member states. In the general assembly, every vote counts equally, meaning that the small state of Tuvalu becomes as important as the superpower of the United States.
When London’s current ambassador, Mona Juul, takes over as UN ambassador at the end of the year, this issue will be high on her list of priorities. At the same time, experienced diplomats were recruited, including former ambassador Arild Øyen, best known as the one who finally got Joshua French out of prison in Congo. Its mission is to bring together voices on the African continent.
In September, a separate team of five people was appointed, led by Ragnhild Imerslund, until recently a member of the Council of Ministers at the Norwegian Embassy in London, to lead the Norwegian Security Council campaign.
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When London’s current ambassador, Mona Juul, takes over as UN ambassador at the end of the year, this issue will be high on her list of priorities. At the same time, experienced diplomats were recruited, including former ambassador Arild Øyen, best known as the one who finally got Joshua French out of prison in Congo. Its mission is to bring together voices on the African continent.
In September, a separate team of five people was appointed, led by Ragnhild Imerslund, until recently a member of the Council of Ministers at the Norwegian Embassy in London, to lead the Norwegian Security Council campaign.
Advantage
Lodgaard points out that, in the eyes of many, Ireland has an advantage in that it is not part of NATO and therefore has an easier time marking its independence than Norway and Canada. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has repeatedly clashed with U.S. President Donald Trump, which could make Canada’s candidacy popular among less U.S.-friendly states. Norway, on the other hand, is considered very loyal to the United States.
– But we have the profile of a great humanitarian power and have always been a declared supporter of the UN. Norway is also known for facilitating peace solutions, which gives us an advantage, says Lodgaard, who has no doubt about the importance of a place on the Security Council for Norway.
– Advice is important in many international contexts. It’s a voice that is heard, says the lead researcher.
The UN Security Council has 15 seats. Of these, five are reserved for permanent members the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France, while the other ten are on a rolling basis. The last time Norway was at the table was in 2001-2002.
