The Permanent Representative of Ethiopia to the UN, Ambassador Taye Atske-Selassie and Director General of International Organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Fortuna Dibaco, acknowledged the end of Ethiopia’s two years as a Non-Permanent member of the UN Security Council at a press conference this week. Ethiopia’s membership ended in December 31. Ambassador Taye told the media this week that Ethiopia, during its time on the Council had underlined its role as a “firm, stalwart advocate of international peace and security spearheading principled and balanced positions on global issues of peace contributing constructively towards concerted and consistent efforts in search for peaceful resolutions of global conflicts and crisis situations.”
Commending Ethiopia’s persistent progress in multilateral diplomacy and its strong belief in effective multilateralism at the UN, Ambassador Taye underscored that Ethiopia has played a key role during its time as a Non-Permanent member of the Council, not only shouldering responsibilities in pressing regional and continental issues. He highlighted Ethiopia’s proactive and consistent activities in the Horn, including, among others, providing the UN force in Abyei (UNIFSA), as well as contributing to the UN/AU Hybrid force in Darfur (UNAMID), and to AMISOM in Somalia, Ambassador Taye also stressed that Ethiopia for many years had been one of the steadfast and leading contributors of UN Peacekeeping, providing a contingent of 12,000 personnel, both men and women, involved in UN peacekeeping duties, as well as exerting efforts to make meaningful and constructive contributions, providing a voice of reason, calling for unity and consensus in responding to some of the most difficult, complex and arduous peace and security challenges of today.
Ambassador Taye underlined: “The lifting of sanctions on Eritrea and the IGAD-led peace process in South Sudan has depicted Ethiopia’s unflinching commitment towards positive developments in the region and its voice for the continental peace and security architecture.” Ethiopia joined the United Nations on 13 November 1945 and has been an active member since 1945.
