Australia launches bid for UN Security Council seat for 2029-2030

Yesterday 10:31

By: Azzat Manal

Australia launches bid for UN Security Council seat for 2029-2030

Australia has formally launched its campaign for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for the 2029-2030 term, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese presenting the bid as an opportunity for Canberra to contribute more directly to international responses to emerging global challenges.

Speaking in New York during the United Nations General Assembly, Albanese said Australia could use a seat on the council to help shape international discussions on issues with implications for the country and the wider Indo-Pacific region. He also pointed to Australia’s diplomatic relationships across the Pacific and Southeast Asia as important elements of its campaign.

If elected, Australia would return to the Security Council after its most recent two-year term ended in 2014. According to the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the country has previously served five terms, including its first participation in 1946-47 and its latest term in 2013-14.

The Australian government has identified international law, conflict prevention, civilian protection, multilateral cooperation and the concerns of smaller and mid-sized countries among the priorities of its campaign. Canberra has also highlighted climate change, technological developments and the changing security environment as issues that will increasingly shape international peace and security.

Australia is competing with Finland for one of the two non-permanent seats allocated to the Western European and Others Group for the 2029-2030 period. The Security Council has 15 members in total: five permanent members — China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States — and 10 elected members serving two-year terms. Five of the non-permanent members are elected each year by the UN General Assembly.

The election for the 2029-2030 seats is expected to take place by secret ballot in 2028. Australia’s campaign therefore comes well ahead of the vote, giving Canberra time to seek support from UN member states and strengthen its diplomatic outreach.

Australia has also emphasized its long-standing involvement in the United Nations system. The country held the Security Council presidency during its first year of operation in 1946 and has promoted its role as a Pacific and Indo-Pacific country with longstanding links to the region.