Djukic: It's not easy to secure a non-permanent Security Council seat

Former ambassador Srecko Djukic tells Kosovo Online that a non-permanent seat on the Security Council carries particular weight in international relations, requires a great struggle to attain, and is not easily acquired. If Serbia were to become a non-permanent member of the Security Council, he emphasizes that it would increase Serbia's reputation in international relations.

"Whether a member of the Security Council or not, Serbia cannot push through something in the Security Council that major powers with veto rights do not accept or where it cannot secure a majority. However, the fact that Serbian diplomacy has gained significance and weight is precisely guaranteed by membership in the Security Council. That is the most prominent achievement a country can secure for itself, and that is why the competition for this position is extremely intense," Djukic explains.

Recently, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic stated that Serbia would run for a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council if a resolution on Srebrenica was passed in the United Nations, noting that two NATO countries from Eastern Europe had already nominated themselves.

Djukic notes that there is an established order in which non-permanent Security Council members are elected every year for the next two years, and Serbia belongs to the Eastern group of countries that choose their representative, spanning from the Baltics to the Black and Aegean Seas.

"That is a very large group, comprising countries with different geopolitical positions. The choice depends on how many countries you gain support from within that group, then it goes to the UN General Assembly, so no one can guarantee in advance whether we will receive support, especially since in our group, there are many countries that are almost all EU or NATO members, and it's natural that solidarity among them is stronger than towards countries that are not members of these international organizations. Nevertheless, even if we don't succeed, we shouldn't give up; we need membership in the UN Security Council to gain renown, increase Serbia's reputation globally, and secure an appropriate place in international organizations," Djukic assesses.

Regarding Serbia's chances of being elected if it were to nominate itself, he says that nuances would probably decide, depending on who else nominates themselves.

"Besides Serbia, from the former Yugoslav republics, North Macedonia and Montenegro have not yet been non-permanent members of the UN Security Council. I don't know if they will nominate themselves, but an agreement can be reached there – among these three former Yugoslav republics – not to compete against each other but for one to be chosen first, and then the other in the next round. That would be the first clearing of the field, then the former Yugoslav republics need to be won over, then the EU and our group in which we are elected. This requires a lot of patience, diplomatic work, and of course, we need to invoke all those countries that we have supported in their bid for non-permanent Security Council seats. It would be presumptuous to say that our chances are absolute or that we have no chance. Let's start with a 'fifty-fifty' mindset and let the nuances decide," Djukic says.

He mentions that the former Yugoslavia was a non-permanent member of the Security Council four or five times in 45 years, while the FRY, Serbia and Montenegro, and then Serbia itself, have never been.

Considering that Albania was a non-permanent member of the Security Council representing the Eastern European group of countries in 2022-2023, Djukic says that Albania affirmed itself, its position, and its entire people through that.

"We supported Albania's membership in the Security Council. It was a principled stance, and I think it was good. Generally, when supporting a member in such a delicate body, you start with neighboring countries and then move further, so it was normal to support Albania. I think since then, Serbia's relations with Albania have improved, alongside a principled difference and disagreement on the key issue – the Kosovo issue. What Albania has done for the region, itself, and the international community from that position is difficult to measure. It's important to participate constructively in international affairs," our interlocutor states.

He reminds us that the UN has been around since 1945 and that there are so many rules and principles in this organization, and it's generally unpopular to violate or change them and introduce some form of voluntarism.

"The UN is an organization with a clear profile, perhaps not as efficient as we would like, as Serbia would like regarding some of its issues and problems, but we must always bear in mind that there are other countries like Serbia around the world, and not everyone can be accommodated. These rules were forged by generations of extremely clever diplomats from various countries, including Yugoslavia, which had its brilliant representatives in the UN Security Council and a range of other organizations. We must fight to regain that position and stature we once had," Djukic concludes.