Norway joined the United Nation Security Council at the beginning of the year. As a member of the UN Security Council, Norway will chair the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Sanctions Committee. In addition it will lead the Isil (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee, and the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict.
Norway will also be penholder for the situation in Afghanistan and for the humanitarian situation in Syria. Furthermore, it will work actively to increase focus on the linkages between climate change and security.
Climate change
“It is clear that climate change is increasingly leading to greater instability and exacerbating conflicts. Norway will work actively to promote the Security Council’s efforts in this area, for example by using scientific data systematically,” said Minister of Foreign Affairs Ine Eriksen Søreide.
The Nordic countries have fielded a candidate to the Security Council for every other two-year mandate. Norway was elected 17 June 2020 to the Security Council for 2021-2022. Norway, Ireland and Canada had put forward their candidatures for the two seats available for the Western European and Others Group. Norway was elected with 130 votes. Ireland was elected with 128 votes.
“The world needs more international cooperation to promote peace and security. We will make use of our seat on the Security Council to strengthen this work,” said Prime Minister Erna Solberg when the General Assembly had elected her country to the Security Council.
