As previously reported by LSM, last week Latvia officially launched its campaign to win a temporary seat on the on the United Nations Security Council from 2026-7. The election among UN member states takes place in 2025.
"It can be said that there is still a lot of time, but it is a demanding job – 193 countries are members of the UN and each of them must be convinced that Latvia is the best candidate," said Kols. Latvia must obtain the support of at least 109 countries.
"It's not like we put up our candidacy and now everyone will vote for us. Two-thirds of the votes have to be collected, that's 109 countries. Even if we secured the votes of all of Europe, our cooperation partners, strategic partners, it would not be enough for us to win the candidacy," said Kols.
Moreover, Latvia is not the only candidate from the region.
"Opposite us is Montenegro. Many may say that Latvia has better chances, but.... Hardly anyone in Africa or Latin America could show where Latvia or Montenegro are on a map. Therefore, it is fundamental work, not only talking to diplomats from other countries, but also politicians because it's a political decision," Kols explained.
"The campaign is aimed at convincing other countries that we are a valuable international player who stands up for international principles and values, and understands a wider range of issues than just our own problems," Kols said.
Non-permanent members of the Security Council can propose to change the agenda, and propose to consider certain issues. Estonia is the only one of the Baltic states to have held the position so far.
The influential Security Council has five permanent members: China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and ten non-permanent members elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly. However, only the five permanent members wield a powerful veto. Latvia is one of more than 50 United Nations Member States have never been members of the Security Council.
You can see more about Latvia's bid at this web page.
