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STORY: GA / SECURITY COUNCIL ELECTIONS
TRT: 03:26
SOURCE: UNIFEED-UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / SPANISH / NATS
DATELINE: 28 JUNE 2016, NEW YORK CITY
FILE – NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, UNHQ exterior
28 JUNE 2016, NEW YORK CITY
2. Various shots, UN staff checking ballot boxes
3. Various shots, delegates casting votes
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Bert Koenders, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Netherlands:
“My colleague Gentiloni and myself would like to put forward a proposal subject to full endorsement of the Western European and other nations group, that we would like to split the term. That is to say that Italy would to be in the Council during the period 2017-2018 and the Netherlands in the subsequent year 2018-2019.”
5. Wide shot, General Assembly Hall
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Paolo Gentiloni Silveri, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Italy:
“We maybe wanted to give also a message of unity between two European countries and so we took the opportunity of this perfect parity – 95 to 95 – to decide a proposal that gives also this message of unity between two European countries.”
7. Zoom out, staff with collected ballots
8. Wide shot, Swedish delegation celebrating
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Margot Wallström, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sweden:
“What has happened is of course that it has triggered a reaction in those parties that have a very nationalistic or xenophobic agenda, and I am afraid that that is not helpful at all, in Europe or in the world. We need more of those that can compromise and work in a democratic way. And we have to demonstrate that we as leaders in Europe are able of doing that also.”
10. Wide shot, ballots being distributed
11. Wide shot, Bolivian delegation celebrating
12. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Sacha Sergio Llorenti Soliz, Permanent Representative of Bolivia to the United Nations:
“Bolivia is and will continue to be very critical of the Security Council. The Security Council is unfortunately an undemocratic mechanism. Its format is unfortunately an anachronism, and we hope that our participation in the Security Council will contribute to its transformation.”
13. Wide shot, Ethiopian delegation celebrating
14. Wide shot, delegates casting votes
15. Wide shot, Kazakh delegation celebrating
16. SOUNDBITE (English) Erlan Idrisov, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kazakhstan:
“The region of central Asia, being politically young on the political map today, still has a great history. We hail back from ancient Silk Road times. Therefore, we have a lot to offer to the world. And we believe that it is time to attract attention to the needs of development in our part of the world. Therefore, we believe that we will bring the priorities of the development of central Asia onto the UN agenda.”
17. Wide shot, General Assembly Hall
After reaching a deadlock in the voting process, the Netherlands and Italy have proposed an agreement to each serve one year of a two-year term on the Security Council.
After several rounds of voting at the General Assembly (GA), the two nations had reached parity in the vote at 95 endorsements each. Rules require the candidate state to receive two-thirds of the votes casted in order to win a seat on the Council concerned with international peace and security.
GA President Mogens Lykketoft suspended the voting session in light of the agreement to give member states a chance to study the proposal. Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni Silveri said the proposal was meant to send a “message of unity between two European countries.”
Earlier today (28 Jun), the United Nations General Assembly elected four other new members to the Security Council. Bolivia, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, and Sweden were chosen to serve two-year terms on the 15 member body starting the first of January 2017.
Sweden was elected to the Council for the first time since 1998. Its Foreign Minister Margot Wallström said her country was ready to serve in the Council based on the values of the UN charter in a transparent and inclusive way. She said she would instruct her staff at headquarters to talk “with countries not only about them.”
Asked about the recent Brexit situation, Wallström said European leaders had to show unity and “not speculate too much.” She said she was worried however that Brexit had “triggered a reaction in those parties that have a very nationalistic or xenophobic agendas” which was not helpful at all.
Bolivian ambassador Sacha Llorenti said despite being elected, his country would continue to be critical of the Security Council. Llorenti said the Council was “unfortunately an undemocratic mechanism” and hoped their participation would “contribute to its transformation.”
Kazakh Foreign Minister Erlan Idrisov said he was proud his country was the first central Asian country to serve on the Council. He said despite its young political history, the central Asian region has a lot to offer to the world. Idrisov said Kazakhstan would bring forward the “the priorities of the development of central Asia onto the UN agenda.”
Ethiopia will be returning to the Council for the third time in its history, the last time being in 1990. The country, one of the largest UN peacekeeping troop contributors, was running unopposed for the African seat and received 185 votes.
