Greece Launches Campaign for a Seat at UN Security Council

On Thursday Greece officially launched the campaign to become a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the period 2025-26.

Foreign Affairs minister Nikos Dendias launched the bid at an event organized by the Permanent Mission of Greece to the UN in New York.

In the presence of dozens of heads of permanent delegations from around the world, the Greek foreign minister noted that “Greece always supports dialogue and diplomacy as the only viable means to achieve the main goals of this Organisation: international peace, development and the promotion of human rights”.

Priorities for Greece if elected at the UN Security Council

Dendias focused on the words democracy, dialogue and diplomacy, which will form the road map for Greece’s candidacy to the UN General Assembly.

🇬🇷,guided by dialogue, diplomacy & democracy, will focus οn 6 main priorities if elected
1⃣peaceful settlement of disputes
2⃣respect for Int’l Law, UN Charter rules & principles
3⃣Women, Peace & Security
4⃣Climate change & Security
5⃣Maritime security
6⃣Children in armed conflict

— Υπουργείο Εξωτερικών (@GreeceMFA) March 17, 2023

In this context, he analyzed the regional priorities that Greece has set, which are based on the principles of multilateralism and respect for International Law, and whose aim is to defend the principles of rules-based international order.

As he pointed out, Greece “is strongly committed to the promotion of rules-based multilateralism, based on International Law. In this context, we will work with all members of the United Nations to support the system of collective security established by the Charter, with particular emphasis on the prohibition of the use, or threat of use, of force.”

Regarding the priorities that characterize the Greek candidacy, Dendias made special reference to the issues concerning security and the safeguarding of free navigation, since, as he said, Greece will work in the Council to further promote the principles of the Law of the Sea.

Membership of the UΝ Security Council

Membership of the United Nations Security Council is held by five permanent members and ten elected, non-permanent members.

To ensure geographical continuity, a certain number of members is allocated for each of the five UN regional groupings.

Each year the UN General Assembly elects five new members for a two-year term; these elections always begin in October, and continue until the two-thirds majority for the number of countries for each region has been reached. Re-election is allowed, but the term must not be consecutive.

Currently the Security Council is composed of five permanent members: China, France, Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and the following 10 non-permanent members:

Albania (2023)
Brazil (2023)
Ecuador (2024)
Gabon (2023)
Ghana (2023)
Japan (2024)
Malta (2024)
Mozambique (2024)
Switzerland (2024)
United Arab Emirates (2023)

Earlier Dendias met the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres whom he asked to intensify efforts for a Cyprus settlement based on UN resolutions.

According to reports, the two also discussed Greece-Turkey relations following the massive February 6 earthquake, developments in Ukraine and the eastern Mediterranean, environmental protection and women’s rights.

📍 #NewYork | FM @NikosDendias met w/ @UN SG @antonioguterres. On the agenda:
🔹Int’l & regional issues, 🇷🇺’s invasion of 🇺🇦, #Cyprus issue, #EasternMediterranean, #WesternBalkans
🔹Global issues, climate change, human rights (1/2) pic.twitter.com/foXsZ8dlEg

— Υπουργείο Εξωτερικών (@GreeceMFA) March 16, 2023