GSL-Colombia
1.The United Nations Charter compels the Member States to resolve their conflicts by
peaceful means in order not to endanger international peace and security. This means that
they should abstain from threats or use force against any other State and that they submit
any controversies to the Security Council (SC).
2.The first time Colombia held a seat in the Security Council in 1947, it abstained from
voting on the resolution that divided the Palestinian territories and created the state of
Israel, and it opposed the right of veto at the San Francisco Conference, which gave birth to
the UN. Between 1953 and 1958, it was elected for two more periods in the Council.
Although Colombia was not present for the discussions surrounding the Korean War, it did
support the United States' initiative and was the only Latin American country that sent
troops to support the mission in South Korea.
3.As for the conflict that erupted during those years as a result of Egypt's nationalist
aspirations for controlling the Suez Canal, Colombia's position was in support of free
navigation on international waterways
4.In 1989 Colombia joined the Council for the fifth time, on this occasion as the
representative of the Non-Aligned Movement. This was the first time that Colombia held the
responsibility of representing a diplomatic bloc of such magnitude.
5.Colombia's position of support for the resolution that created the no-fly zone in Libya
must be analyzed on three different levels: 1) The need to support humanitarian
interventions; 2) the proviso about the protection of national sovereignty; and 3) the
discrepancy between Colombia's vote in favor of the resolution and the abstention by Brazil,
the only other state from its regional bloc that currently holds a seat in the Council.
This is the seventh time Colombia participates in the Security Council as a non-permanent
member. Colombia is one of the countries which has been a part of the Security Council on
many occasions: Brazil (10 with the present), Japan (10), Argentina (8) and India and
Colombia (7).
Colombia, as a founding member of the United Nations, believes in multilateralism and
actively participates in the UN. Since Colombia does not have many Diplomatic
representatives, its participation in multilateral forums becomes extremely relevant as a
foreign policy instrument.
The United Nations members delegate in the fifteen members of the Security Council the
responsibility of “keeping international peace and security”. In other words, the Council acts
as collective representation of all the member States of the organization. Colombia’s active,
serious and coherent participation in the tasks of the Security Council must contribute to
place Colombia’s foreign policy at the United Nations’ core.
Colombia, due to its extensive experience in security issues, in its fight against terrorism and
organized crime, has the possibility to share experiences in disarmament, demobilization
and reinsertion. The Security Council is the ideal stage to offer this knowledge to the world.
Overall, Colombia appears to be implementing a highly pragmatic and non-aligned strategy which
does not necessarily entail siding with non-permanent members on every issue but which also does
not place it entirely on the side of permanent members.
Prior to its current participation during the 2011-12 period, Colombia's most recent tenure
in the Council (2001- 2002) had taken place during the rise of international terrorism as a
central issue in the UN's agenda, following the 9/11 attacks and the subsequent US invasion
of Afghanistan. In Resolution 1368 (2001), approved unanimously, the Council unequivocally
condemned terrorist acts and defined them as one of the most serious threats to
international security in the 21st century.
---The main responsibility of the Security Council is to keep the peace and security. It is the
most powerful entity of the United Nations system. Although the General Assembly is the
main organ because all members are represented, the decisions of the Security Council are
“compulsory” for all and at the same time has the power to take measures to enforce their
compliance, as it is the only entity which may approve the use of force.
When controversies arise, the first step of the Council is to recommend the parties to reach
an amicable agreement and, in some cases, undertakes research and mediation activities or
requests the Secretary General to assist in the matter. The Council may impose embargoes
or economic sanctions or authorize the use of force in order to settle disputes. In peace
processes, the Council may deploy military observers or a peacekeeping force at a conflict
zone. According to the Charter, the Council has established criminal international courts to
prosecute those accused of serious international human rights violations, including
genocide.
