Online Reporter
The Herald, 28 August 1984
Next month Zimbabwe serves a second one-month term as president of the United Nations Security Council in its two-year term on the council.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement: “Zimbabwe is seen by most members of the international community as very committed and dedicated to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.
“Our views and opinions on a great many matters of vital concern to the international community are respected and often sought after. This of course, is an occasion not so much for national arrogance as for utmost discipline, humility and gratification.’’
The statement takes an overview of Zimbabwe’s position on the council since the country was elected by overwhelming vote to fill one of the non-permanent seats for the two years ending on December 31 this year.
“As a small, non aligned and peace-loving country — and one that does not have adequate resources of its own to guarantee its own security — we participated and continue to participate wholeheartedly in the council’s efforts to enhance the efficacy of the Security Council, which we believe can guarantee international peace and security for the benefit of all mankind.’’
Zimbabwe would like to see the council used as a forum of first resort and doing more preventative diplomacy rather than merely responding to crises when “the positions of the parties to a dispute are already set in concrete and thus inflexibly irreconcilable’’.
Lessons for today
- Zimbabwe was elected as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council during a voting process held in New York. Harare got 182 votes out of a possible 190 votes, the highest by any contesting country for the 2027-28 term.
- The development reflects growing international confidence in Zimbabwe’s “Engagement and Re-engagement” foreign policy.
- The stature and effectiveness of the Council would be enhanced if its resolutions and decisions, especially those adopted unanimously or by consensus, were implemented.
- Zimbabwe always strived for consensus or unanimous decisions, which had better prospects of being respected and, therefore, implemented by the parties concerned.
