Following a vote in the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, Denmark secured membership in the United Nations Security Council for 2025 and 2026, according to a statement released by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs a short while ago, which reads as follows:
Twenty years after its last participation on the UN Security Council, Denmark will rejoin the world's most important body starting January 1, 2025. On Thursday afternoon in New York, Denmark was elected to the Security Council along with Somalia, Pakistan, Panama, and Greece. Denmark will therefore serve on the Security Council from January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2026.
“This is a great day for Danish foreign policy. Since 2009 – under changing governments – Denmark has worked to secure a seat on the Security Council. As a result of today, we have obtained the support of the vast majority of UN member states. The UN remains the body we turn to when we need to find solutions to major global crises. At a time when relations between the major powers on the Security Council are being challenged, Denmark will work to conduct joint discussions and make joint decisions, and to be a bridge between the large and small countries on the Security Council,” says Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen.
The United Nations Security Council has 15 members; five permanent members – France, China, Russia, Great Britain and the United States – and ten elected members, which in 2025 will consist of Algeria, Denmark, Greece, Guyana, Pakistan, Panama, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Somalia and South Korea.
This will be the fifth time Denmark has sat at the distinctive horseshoe-shaped table in the Security Council chamber.
The Security Council meets approximately 400 times a year and typically adopts around 50 resolutions annually. In recent years, the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine have topped the Security Council's agenda, but it deals with crises and wars around the world. This applies, for example, to Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Afghanistan, and Haiti.
During Denmark's next term, the United Nations will, among other things, celebrate his 80th birthday and elect a new Secretary-General to succeed António Guterres. The UN General Assembly elects the new Secretary-General upon the recommendation of the Security Council.
Denmark will work within the Security Council to uphold international law and ensure the Council's ability to function and make decisions, even under challenging circumstances. Denmark will use its membership to seek modern solutions to threats to global peace, which are far more complex than in the past. This can be achieved, for example, through close cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations. With regard to African conflicts, for instance, the African Union should be more actively involved in finding solutions.
Denmark will also begin taking preventative measures, as it has become increasingly clear that we must consider the impact of climate change on peace and security worldwide. In many parts of the world, climate change is negatively affecting regional peace and security, with droughts, floods, and resource scarcity contributing to a deteriorating security situation.
Last but not least, Denmark will focus on promoting women's participation in peace and security work. This is not least because peace processes are more sustainable when women are involved.
