- Membership of the UN Security Council (UNSC) in 2026-2027 is one of the long-term objectives of Latvia’s foreign policy, also set out in the National Development Plan of Latvia for 2021-2027. Latvia actively uses the UN to protect the interests of small countries, build global solidarity for safeguarding of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, and to condemn Russia’s aggression. This is also one of the reasons why Latvia is standing as a candidate for a seat on the UNSC. Membership of the UNSC aims to keep key issues for our region – support to Ukraine, strengthening international law, eradicating sexual violence in conflicts, cybersecurity, countering disinformation – in the focus of the UNSC.
- Candidacy for the UNSC promotes Latvia’s cooperation in foreign policy and security with its allies – the US, the United Kingdom, France, Denmark, as well as opening up opportunities for contacts with new partners in Asia, Africa and South America.
- Russia’s war against Ukraine blatantly violates the UN Charter and Russia’s obligations as a permanent member of the UNSC. In 2022, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a resolution stipulating that whenever a permanent member of the UNSC exercises its right of veto, the issue automatically makes it to the UNSC agenda within 10 days at the latest – so that it does not easily disappear. Latvia also took an active part in the preparation and advancement of this resolution. Such an arrangement has already had a “veto-deterrent” effect, meaning that in this manner the UNSC, often also referred to as the “world parliament”, had the opportunity to condemn the use of vetoes. This has been done in cases where Russia used its veto power.
- A prominent example is the resolution ES-11/4 approved by the UNGA vote on 12 October 2022, which condemns the sham referendums staged by Russia in the occupied Ukrainian territories in the east of the country and the annexation of these territories. The resolution also demands that Russia immediately withdraw its forces from Ukraine and respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine. The resolution was supported by 143 (more than 70%) UN member states, with 35 abstaining and 5 (Russia, Belarus, North Korea, Nicaragua and Syria) voting against.
- In total, since 24 February 2022, the UNGA has adopted 7 resolutions condemning Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and not recognizing Russia’s brutal attempts to undermine Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
- Latvia belongs to the UN group of reformer countries – the ACT Group, working to improve the Accountability, Coherence and Transparency of the UNSC. Latvia strongly advocates UN reforms and has repeatedly called for an immediate start of negotiations on the UNSC reform.
- Moreover, Latvia is making every effort to restrict the election of the representatives of Russia and Belarus to UN institutions and forums.
- In addition, the work of the International Criminal Court is particularly important in order to stop Russia’s impunity, as are the efforts to establish an international tribunal for Russia’s crime of aggression against Ukraine. Latvia actively participates in those processes in order to obtain as soon as possible not only political, but also judicial assessments of Russia’s criminal war in Ukraine, so that Russia can be held accountable in all available international formats.
Published: 16.07.2024.
