On 5 July 2024, in Cēsis, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia held a panel discussion, “Nothing about us without us. The role of small countries in the UN” at the democracy conversation festival, LAMPA. The discussion focused on the most pressing issues affecting the interests of small and vulnerable countries, and touched upon international law and multilateralism, reform of international organizations, climate change, the role of youth and civil society in shaping the priorities and agenda of the UN and others.
Baiba Braže also called for fairer, more efficient, open, and transparent international organizations, highlighting the need for equitable representation of small countries in UN bodies, including the UN Security Council, to ensure inclusiveness in global decision-making. Latvia stands ready to engage in partnerships in the digital domain, cybersecurity, AI and fighting disinformation.
The discussion also provided an opportunity for Baiba Braže to present one of the long-term objectives of Latvia’s foreign policy – to become an elected member of the UN Security Council for the term of 2026–2027, as well as to showcase Latvia’s activities, expertise and priorities within the UN.
Other panellists taking part in the discussion were H.E. Mr Dennis Francis, President of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, H.E. Margus Tsahkna, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, and Kristofers Kārlis Krūmiņš, UN Youth Delegate of Latvia.
At the end of the discussion, the Foreign Ministers of Latvia and Estonia presented the annual Languages Award for the 15th time, honoring excellence, achievements in, and individual contribution to popularizing the Latvian language in Estonia and the Estonian language in Latvia, which was received this year by a Tartu University professor, linguist and poet Karl Pajusalu.
A full record of the event is accessible here:
