Rwanda begins UN Security Council presidency

Rwanda today begins its one-month presidency of the United Nations Security Council in what will be the country’s second and last stint at the helm of the body in its current non-permanent member term. The country’s two-year membership of the Security Council ends in December, 2014. Rwanda’s presidency comes at a time when the country is marking liberation for the 20th time and at a period when it is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its participation in international peacekeeping operations. Rwanda takes over from Russia, which held the Security Council presidency for the month of June. During its presidency, Rwanda says it will seek to galvanise international commitment to effective peacekeeping operations. “That is why the main event of our presidency will be a high-level, open debate on peacekeeping, regional partnership and its evolution,” said Chantal Uwizera, the press attaché at Rwanda’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations. Rwanda boasts more than 5,000 peacekeepers in various international missions around the around, which puts it among the top six troop contributing countries worldwide. The presidency of the 15-member UNSC is rotated among the members in an alphabetical order. Only five Security Council member states hold a permanent member-status.

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Rwanda begins UN Security Council presidency