A presentation of the study will be given by its author, Dr Kārlis Bukovskis, Deputy Director of the Latvian Institute of International Affairs, who will invite experts to a discussion on opportunities and benefits for Latvia from the international, security and economic cooperation aspects, as the country moves forward in its bid for a seat on the UNSC. The importance of active engagement in the world’s most influential multilateral forum deciding on global development issues – peace, security and global sustainability.
In an online discussion, Estonian experience will be shared by the Permanent Representative of Estonia to the UN in New York, Ambassador Sven Jürgenson, considering that Estonia is serving as a non-permanent member of the UNSC up till the end of 2021.
The event will be broadcast online in Latvian on the Foreign Ministry’s website at www.mfa.gov.lv and the Foreign Ministry’s Facebook profile at https://www.facebook.com/arlietuministrija/posts/2995219503915127
The study, “Latvia’s interests and opportunities in becoming a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council”, is accessible at https://lai.lv/publikacijas (in Latvian).
Although Latvia and the other Baltic States could not be among the countries who launched the United Nations organisation in 1945 in the endeavour to forever prevent new world wars, the UN was the first international organisation that Latvia joined in 1991 immediately after regaining its independence. Through its UN membership, Latvia returned to the international system as a sovereign state. For small countries, like each of the Baltic States, membership of the UN Security Council brings the opportunity to be visible globally and take part in addressing key security issues. At the same time, this membership means a country has acquired a certain degree of maturity and has the ability to assume responsibility for global processes.
The discussion is organised on the eve of United Nations Day on 24 October. In 2020, we mark the 75th anniversary of the United Nations and 29 years of Latvia’s membership of the organisation; in this light, a special focus is placed on UN-related topics in Latvia. A series of events organised by various institutions are all part of the UN Month.
