Costa Rica Wins UN
Security Council Seat
Dominican Republic
withdrew its bid for a
seat in the United
Nations Security
Council, paving the way
for Costa Rica to occupy
the post, declaring it
was in defense of the
unity and solidarity of
Latin America and the
Caribbean.
"The Unity of Latin
America and the
Caribbean is first of
all and more than ever
in a world riddled with
difficulties", acting
Dominican ambassador
Enriquillo A. del
Rosario Ceballos
expressed when speaking
at the plenary of the
General Assembly.
The struggle between the
Dominican Republic and
Costa Rica for a
rotating seat at the UN
Security Council turned
out in favour of Costa
Rica from the beginning,
although neither of them
obtained the endorsement
required in the first
round of voting.
According to the count
of voting papers, Costa
Rica obtained 116 votes
to Dominican Republic's
72 in the first round,
though needed votes are
126 - two thirds of the
General Assembly of the
UN - to take the
rotating seat in the
powerful organism.
In a second round of
voting, Costa Rica was
backed up by 119 States
and Dominican Republic
by 70.
"We Dominicans want to
give the world an
expression of Latin
American solidarity",
ambassador Rosario
Ceballos declared in the
middle of prolonged
applauses of the 192
States members of the
Assembly.
During final voting,
Costa Rica was elected
with 179 votes in favor
to occupy for two years
from January 1st, 2008
the rotating seat at UN
Security Council by the
region of Latin America
and Caribbean that Peru
will leave unoccupied.
This will be the third
time that Costa Rica
occupies for two years a
rotating seat at UN
Security Council, first
one was in 1974-1975 and
1997-1998.
According to the
regulation for these
elections, the
candidates to occupy a
rotating seat at UN
Security Council must be
back up by the two
thirds of the 192
members of UN General
Assembly. |
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