ABC
October 19, 2012
Australia says it's grateful to Pacific, Caribbean and African nations for supporting its bid for a seat on the United Nations Security Council, the most important governing body in the UN.
The nation garnered 140 votes from members of the UN General Assembly to earn one of the five non-permanent seats up for grabs on the council.
Other successful nations were Argentina, Rwanda, Luxembourg and South Korea.
Australia will serve on the council next year and in 2014.
Australia 'good global citizen'
Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr says the vote recognizes Australia's activist foreign policy and status as a good global citizen.
"I think Australians are entitled to say today that the work of our diplomats, the work of our peacekeepers, the work of our troops, the work of our volunteers providing aid - all this is reflected in the day's result," he said.
"It's a wonderful, heart-warming endorsement of Australia as a good global citizen.
"It's countries saying, 'We like Australia. We think Australia's role is good and positive and we want to see Australia provide leadership'."
He says Australia received strong support from African nations and countries of the Pacific and the Caribbean.
Australia's Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs, Richard Marles, was in the United Nations chamber when the vote was announced and says it was a very sweet moment for Australia and a very sweet moment for the Pacific.
"The bedrock of our support in this campaign has been the Pacific from day one, and indeed that support has spread to other island nations around the world - the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean," he told .
"We're very grateful for that and I think the Pacific very much know that in Australia sitting on the Security Council now, they're sitting there as well."
Mr Marles says Australia can bring strong experience to the Security Council, especially in peace-building in its region, in East Timor, in Solomon Islands and in Bougainville.
"There are lessons that have been learnt there that we really can take to the world," he says.
"If you look at the [Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands], it really is the world's best practice in terms of a regional intervention into a country which was experiencing really a state of chaos when RAMSI began its work in 2003."
Opposition backlash
While the Australian Opposition coalition has welcomed the nation's win, they are wary of the cost of Australia's campaign for the seat.
Foreign affairs spokeswoman Julie Bishop says the coalition will be seeking further detail from the government on the total cost of the bid, and the expectations of countries who gave their support.
"I hope that we can ascertain over time exactly what Australia promised in return for votes," she said.
"We know that the aid budget was skewed in order to win votes in certain parts of the world.
"We know that promises were made but we don't know the details about them and I assume that will emerge over time."
Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs has rejected suggestions aid money has been used to bolster Canberra's bid for a United Nations Security Council seat.
October 19, 2012
Australia says it's grateful to Pacific, Caribbean and African nations for supporting its bid for a seat on the United Nations Security Council, the most important governing body in the UN.
The nation garnered 140 votes from members of the UN General Assembly to earn one of the five non-permanent seats up for grabs on the council.
Other successful nations were Argentina, Rwanda, Luxembourg and South Korea.
Australia will serve on the council next year and in 2014.
Australia 'good global citizen'
Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr says the vote recognizes Australia's activist foreign policy and status as a good global citizen.
"I think Australians are entitled to say today that the work of our diplomats, the work of our peacekeepers, the work of our troops, the work of our volunteers providing aid - all this is reflected in the day's result," he said.
"It's a wonderful, heart-warming endorsement of Australia as a good global citizen.
"It's countries saying, 'We like Australia. We think Australia's role is good and positive and we want to see Australia provide leadership'."
He says Australia received strong support from African nations and countries of the Pacific and the Caribbean.
Australia's Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs, Richard Marles, was in the United Nations chamber when the vote was announced and says it was a very sweet moment for Australia and a very sweet moment for the Pacific.
"The bedrock of our support in this campaign has been the Pacific from day one, and indeed that support has spread to other island nations around the world - the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean," he told .
"We're very grateful for that and I think the Pacific very much know that in Australia sitting on the Security Council now, they're sitting there as well."
Mr Marles says Australia can bring strong experience to the Security Council, especially in peace-building in its region, in East Timor, in Solomon Islands and in Bougainville.
"There are lessons that have been learnt there that we really can take to the world," he says.
"If you look at the [Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands], it really is the world's best practice in terms of a regional intervention into a country which was experiencing really a state of chaos when RAMSI began its work in 2003."
Opposition backlash
While the Australian Opposition coalition has welcomed the nation's win, they are wary of the cost of Australia's campaign for the seat.
Foreign affairs spokeswoman Julie Bishop says the coalition will be seeking further detail from the government on the total cost of the bid, and the expectations of countries who gave their support.
"I hope that we can ascertain over time exactly what Australia promised in return for votes," she said.
"We know that the aid budget was skewed in order to win votes in certain parts of the world.
"We know that promises were made but we don't know the details about them and I assume that will emerge over time."
Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs has rejected suggestions aid money has been used to bolster Canberra's bid for a United Nations Security Council seat.
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