Put Small States on Security Council says Ramos-Horta
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Put Small States on Security Council says Ramos-Horta
- Created: Tuesday, 02 September 2014 17:33
José Ramos-Horta
Former President, East Timor, 1996 Nobel Peace Prize laureate - Member of the GFI Board of Directors Huffington Post, August 30, 2014
I believe that few people could name more than five members of the UN Security Council. The U.S., Russia and China certainly. Think hard and you would probably add in the United Kingdom and -- maybe -- France, as the countries who hold the power of "nay" or "aye" over key actions of the United Nations, including how the UN addresses conflicts arising around the world.
There are 10 other countries who are non-permanent members elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly.
This October, New Zealand, Spain and Turkey will contest two vacant seats in the UN Security Council. Two seats, three contenders.
My country Timor-Leste is actively supporting New Zealand for one of the two seats.
I have lived with and aged with the UN Security Council, since December, 1975, when I first addressed the Council at age 25, on the Indonesian occupation of my country, Timor-Leste (formerly East Timor). And while the voice of the superpowers and other developed nations such as the European members are indispensable, the council, being the only group in the UN with real teeth, is far too important to be an exclusive club of the powerful.
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