Online Reporter
Columbus Mabika and Remember Deketeke
Zimbabwe’s election to a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council is a historic achievement with profound implications for the country, the continent and the broader international community, a Cabinet Minister has said.
Speaking while presiding over the graduation ceremony of the Junior Staff Course at the Zimbabwe Staff College in Harare yesterday, the Minister of Defence, Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, said the election will help counterbalance Western dominance in global affairs.
Zimbabwe won the seat after receiving 182 votes out of 190 cast in an election held in New York, the United States, on Wednesday.
The Security Council bears primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security.
Under the United Nations Charter, all member states are obligated to comply with Council decisions.
The Security Council takes the lead in determining the existence of a threat to peace or an act of aggression.
It calls upon parties to a dispute to settle it by peaceful means and recommends methods of adjustment or terms of settlement.
Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri said the development would further fuel the Second Republic’s engagement and re-engagement programmes and cement Zimbabwe’s place on the international stage.
“Allow me to congratulate His Excellency the President of Zimbabwe and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces and the country for overwhelmingly winning the United Nations Security Council non-permanent seat,” she said.
“This diplomatic milestone is highly significant for Zimbabwe as it will boost our international engagement and re-engagement policy, amplify Africa’s voice and help shape global security policy.”
Turning to regional security, Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri said Zimbabwe remains fully committed to strengthening military diplomacy, interoperability and strategic cooperation within the region.
“The participation of officers from sister SADC nations demonstrates the enduring spirit of regional cooperation, solidarity and collective security that continues to define our region,” she said.
Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri said it was incumbent upon Africa to take the lead in sustainable peacebuilding, guided by the principle of African solutions to African problems as embodied in the African Union Agenda 2063.
The region, she said, should remain focused on the scourge of transnational organised crime, chief among them illicit trade, smuggling, substance abuse and poaching.
Climate change and recurrent natural disasters, she said, remain a major cause for concern, hence the need for preventive measures to mitigate such challenges when they occur.
On economic activity, the Minister said it was pleasing that the domestic economy continues to be resilient despite external shocks arising from the global geopolitical environment.
The exchange rate of the ZiG to the US dollar has generally remained stable, together with prices.
Even fuel prices, which are volatile on the international market, have largely remained stable in Zimbabwe due to a raft of measures, including tax and levy suspensions, announced by Government to cushion the people.
