https://jakartaglobe.id/news/indonesia-takes-up-un-security-council-seat/
*Indonesia Takes Up UN Security CounIndonesia Takes Up UN Security Council Seat**cil S*eat - I*ndonesian Ambassador Dian Triansyah Djani, second from right, attending a flag installation ceremony at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Wednesday as the country and four others officially assumed their responsibilities as nonpermanent members of the Security Council. (Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs)* *By : Sheany <https://jakartaglobe.id/author/sheany/>* | on 2:04 PM January 05, 2019 *Category : News <https://jakartaglobe.id/news>, Featured <https://jakartaglobe.id/featured-2>, Foreign Affairs <https://jakartaglobe.id/news/foreign-affairs-news>* *Jakarta.* Indonesia and four other nations officially took up their seats as nonpermanent members of the United Nations Security Council, one of the six principal organs of the intergovernmental organization that has the power to impose sanctions on countries and authorize the use of military force in conflict zones. Indonesia, Germany, Belgium, South Africa and the Dominican Republic will take part in formulating policies to maintain international peace and security as mandated in the UN Charter. Their memberships are effective from Jan. 1, 2019 until Dec. 21, 2020. "The huge support we received shows the international community's trust in Indonesia's track record in diplomacy and our free and active foreign policy, which has been crucial in maintaining world peace," the country's permanent representative to the United Nations, Dian Triansyah Djani, said in a statement on Thursday. The Security Council has 15 members, with five of them – the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France – permanent. The council also makes decisions on the admission of new members to the United Nations. The UN General Assembly in New York elects the 10 nonpermanent members of the Security Council. The last election took place in June last year, which saw Indonesia and the four other nations replace Bolivia, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Sweden and the Netherlands at the end of their respective two-year terms. Indonesia secured 144 votes, which Dian said was a reflection of the international community's solid trust in the country. Indonesia plans to focus on improving the efficiency of UN peacekeeping operations during its term. The country has prioritized several issues, including developing a comprehensive global approach to tackling terrorism, radicalism and extremism, as well as Palestinian statehood. As a Muslim-majority country, Indonesia is expected to use its Security Council seat to prioritize resolutions of various issues affecting Muslims around the world, including the Rohingya humanitarian crisis and the Qatar diplomatic crisis. This is Indonesia's fourth stint as a nonpermanent member of the Security Council, having also served in this capacity in 1973-74, 1995-96 and 2007-08.
