Britain, one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, said on Tuesday it was looking forward to working with South Africa on the council.
Congratulating South Africa on its election to the council on Monday, Britain’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Paul Boateng, said the election to the two-year non-permanent seat on the council was ”well-deserved” in light of the country’s efforts to bring peace to Africa.
”As a permanent member, the United Kingdom looks forward to working with South Africa on the challenges facing the Security Council; and on reform of the UN,” Boateng said.
South Africa takes up its two-year seat on the Security Council in January after it was elected to the seat with 186 votes out of 192 UN member states.
South Africa would be one of 10 non-permanent members joining permanent members Britain, United States, China, France and Russia to make up the 15-member Security Council.
The South African Communist Party also welcomed the election, saying it hoped the opportunity would be used to push a progressive agenda.
”We are confident that our country will consistently act as a champion of the collective wishes of the developing world, and consistently argue for a UN that prioritises the interests of the overwhelming majority of the global population, which remains poor and exploited,” a statement from the party read. — Sapa