Indonesia defeated the Maldives on Friday in the only contested election for a seat on the Security Council starting Jan. 1 and will join the U.N.’s most powerful body along with Germany, Belgium, South Africa and the Dominican Republic.
General Assembly President Miroslav Lajcak announced the results of the secret ballot vote in the 193-member world body to loud applause. The four countries running without opposition all received over 180 votes.
Indonesia is the world’s most populous Muslim nation and has been on the council three times previously. It defeated the Maldives, a small Indian Ocean island nation which has never served on the council, by a vote of 144-46.Winning a seat on the Security Council is a pinnacle of achievement for many countries because it gives them a strong voice in matters dealing with international peace and security.
Earlier, Indonesia’s Ambassador to the UN, Dian Triansyah Djani, said that there are many countries that declare their support for Indonesia to become a Non-Permanent Member of the UN Security Council for the period 2019-2020. In a previous occasion, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said, “As a candidate for the UNSC’s non-permanent Members, Indonesia will address the hopes and views of countries if elected as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council and become ‘bridge-builders’ in realizing common ideals of peace and the welfare of the world. ”
“This is a finest moment for Indonesia to be more actively participate in creating peace and global stability, maintaining peace and sustainable development agenda, and as Indonesia’s efforts to combat terrorism, radicalism and extremism,” said Husnan Bey Fananie, Ambassador of Indonesia in Azerbaijan on Friday when watching the General Assembly live from the Embassy in Baku.
