Online Reporter
Oliver Kazunga
Senior Reporter
ZIMBABWE’s election to the United Nations Security Council is a defining diplomatic breakthrough that places the country at the centre of Africa’s push for a reformed global governance system, including the long-standing demand for two permanent African seats on the Council, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Professor Amon Murwira, said yesterday.
The country secured a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council on June 3 after receiving the backing of 96 percent of UN member States, a result Professor Murwira described as a strong endorsement of the country’s leadership, diplomacy and foreign policy direction.
Responding to questions at yesterday’s post-Cabinet media briefing in Harare, the Minister said the election marked a historic diplomatic victory that had shattered decades of attempts to portray the country as isolated from the international community.
“The tag which was being put on Zimbabwe, the tag of a so-called isolated country, crumbled to dust on the 3rd of June 2026 when 96 percent of the world said Zimbabwe is part of the global community and deserves to be in the decision-making body,” he said.
Prof Murwira said President Mnangagwa’s decision to seek a Security Council seat was part of Zimbabwe’s broader strategy of reintegrating into the global community and strengthening its role in international affairs.
He added that the country’s election reflected growing international recognition of Zimbabwe as a stable, predictable and dependable partner capable of contributing meaningfully to global peace and security.
Zimbabwe’s presence on the Security Council would create new opportunities for trade, investment, industrialisation and tourism by enhancing confidence among international partners, explained Prof Murwira.
“Trade is done using trusted partners. Once Zimbabwe is superintending over peace and security, it means our industrialisation agenda can have huge opportunities because the country is trusted,” he said.
He added that Zimbabwe’s positive international standing is already yielding dividends in tourism, citing recent global recognition of the country as a leading destination to travel to.
Prof Murwira said nations that enjoy peace, stability and international trust are better positioned to attract investment, tourists and development opportunities.
“The beginning of all economic development is to have a trusted and predictable country,” he said.
Turning to Zimbabwe’s priorities on the Security Council, Prof Murwira said Harare would champion the African Union’s common position on reform of the United Nations system, particularly the Security Council, whose structure has remained largely unchanged since 1945.
“The African union says we must push for two permanent seats at the Security Council with veto power, if it is still preferred, and we must push for more non-permanent seats for Africa.
“Zimbabwe will be the voice of Africa and the Global South in pushing this agenda,” he said.
Prof Murwira noted that the current composition of the Security Council no longer reflects contemporary geopolitical realities, particularly given that much of Africa was under colonial rule when the UN was established in 1945, while Zimbabwe was not even there.
Zimbabwe will pursue the reform agenda through diplomacy, dialogue and consensus-building rather than confrontation, in line with its foreign policy doctrine of being “a friend to all and an enemy to none”.
“We shall be pursuing this agenda through negotiation, through diplomacy, through non-adversarial initiatives and consensus,” he said.
Government is already preparing specialised teams and developing strategies that would guide Zimbabwe’s work on the Security Council when its two-year term begins on January 1 next year.
“We are preparing our teams and having the strategy codified and then cleared by our President before our people start work on the Security Council on a daily basis on 1 January 2027,” said Prof Murwira.
Zimbabwe’s election to the Security Council is widely regarded as one of the country’s most significant diplomatic achievements in recent years and is expected to strengthen its influence in shaping discussions on international peace, security and global governance reform.
Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Zhemu Soda said Cabinet noted with satisfaction, Zimbabwe’s overwhelming election to the non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
“The victory elevates the nation’s global diplomatic standing, strengthens African representation, and accelerates Government’s international engagement and re-engagement agenda.
“Securing 182 out of 190 United Nations General Assembly votes represents a sweeping international endorsement of Zimbabwe’s diplomatic approach.
“It challenges previous negative geopolitical narratives, positioning the country as a trusted partner within the multilateral system,” he said.
Minister Soda said the official visit to New York for the UN Security Council elections also provided the Zimbabwean delegation with an invaluable platform for bilateral and multilateral engagements with member States and other strategic partners.
This is in line with the engagement and re-engagement policy.
