11 Jun 2022
Mozambique’s President, Filipe Nyusi, said on Thursday that the country would defend dialogue and multilateralism for peace in the world during the two-year mandate as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
Mozambique was today unanimously elected a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council in the vacancy for Africa and for which it was running unopposed, following the usual concertation on the continent.
In an address to the nation after announcing the voting results, Nyusi said that the country would guide its conduct in that body by the “importance of the policy of peace and peaceful solution and the advocacy of multilateralism.
The principles of defence of national interest and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states would also guide Mozambique’s actions in the UN Security Council, Filipe Nyusi added.
“These are principles and rules that are clearly embodied in our Constitution and the Charter of the United Nations and will always be respected by Mozambicans,” he stressed.
Filipe Nyusi pointed out that the country has a “history and track record” in the peaceful resolution of conflicts through dialogue, referring to the Peace and National Reconciliation Agreement signed between the Government and the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo), the main opposition party, in August 2019, a “recent example”.
He pointed to the agreement’s success as fundamental for the peace and stability of the country.
The Mozambican head of state defended the importance of a “multifaceted approach” in the search for peace and security, pointing to cooperation between the defence and security forces of Mozambique, Rwanda and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) as fundamental in the “remarkable progress” recorded in the fight against armed groups in the northern province of Cabo Delgado.
“This multifaceted approach has gained international recognition as a successful ‘intra-African’ model in the fight against armed groups,” he stressed.
It is the first time that Mozambique has been elected as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
The Portuguese-speaking country received all 192 possible votes, the only one to do so among the five countries competing today for as many seats, according to the results announced from the United Nations headquarters in New York at 17:00 in Maputo (16:00 in Lisbon).
Mozambique represented the Southern African sub-region in this year’s elections, according to the rotation pattern of the African Group.
Elections for seats allocated to African member states are generally uncontested, as the African Group maintains an established rotation pattern among its five sub-regions (Northern Africa, Southern Africa, Eastern Africa, Western Africa and Central Africa).
Three non-permanent seats are always allocated to Africa: one seat is elected every even-numbered calendar year, and two are contested during odd-numbered years.
Mozambique is among five new members elected this year (along with Ecuador, Japan, Malta and Switzerland) who will hold seats from 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2024
Photos: TVM