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This month, Norway took an observer seat at the UN Security Council. The goal is to be able to prepare as best as possible for the two-year assignment in the most powerful body in the UN.
– There will probably be surprises, but the device is now being tested, says UN Ambassador Mona Juul.
UN Ambassador Mona Juul tries to avoid a leadership role for UN committees that hinders Norway’s peace work.
Photo: Anders Tvegård / NRK
Every morning there are meetings of the UN delegation on the 35th floor, a few blocks from the UN headquarters in New York.
Norwegians discuss what they should think about conflicts and how they formulate positions, as if Norway has already taken a seat.
But there are still a few weeks left before the red observer chairs can be replaced by the blue Security Council chairs.
Since the New Year, Norway has been a full member after a 13-year election campaign.
Fight for conflicts
Now there is a tug of war in the corridors of the UN in New York about which committees Norway should lead. UN committees are used to pressure and punish actors in certain conflicts.
– Norway takes a seat in a Security Council that obviously reflects the situation in the world today. It is the great power conflict, war and internal conflicts, hunger and poverty and COVID-19, which has worsened the situation in developing countries and the world, says Norway’s ambassador to the UN, Mona Juul.
The case continues during behind-the-scenes video at the UN Security Council.
The Norwegian UN delegation in New York prepares for a seat on the UN Security Council.
The five veto powers have given elected members the task of leading the subcommittees. Norway must take responsibility for chairing at least one criminal committee.
Several of the committee assignments may conflict with Norwegian peace diplomacy.
The Norwegian peace dilemma at the UN
Criminal committees can complicate reconciliation work or make it difficult for actors to participate at a negotiating table. Especially if Norway is going to lead a sanctions committee, which aims to strangle actors financially or diplomatically.
– We have expressed wishes and preferences because we know we have to take some of the difficult ones, Juul tells NRK.
She calls it “burden sharing.” The UN delegation has registered wishes, which do not conflict with Norway’s role.
Available from next year, the Sanctions Committee for actors in:
Norway has carried out or has ongoing peace work in at least half of the conflicts.
– It is urgent to know the role of the committee
The veto powers have complied with the wishes of the committee of the committee members.
A clarification is already in overtime. The deadline expired on October 1.
– These are work-intensive committees to lead. It is extremely important that it clears up soon so that we can fire people and prepare, says UN Ambassador Mona Juul.
In addition to sanctions committees, leadership is needed in UN committees attempting to monitor developments in the Sahel and Darfur, humanitarian access in Syria and the broader “Children in Armed Conflict”.
The UN Security Council has 25 committees, chaired by elected members.
The Norwegian UN delegation has been reinforced with lawyers and experts in relation to the UN Security Council assignment.
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