Beginning January 2023, Ecuador, Japan, Malta, Mozambique and Switzerland will join the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) as its new non-permanent members. A country must obtain the support of two-thirds of the UN member States present and voting at the General Assembly session in order to secure a non-permanent seat in the Security Council, regardless of whether the candidacy is contested or not. The newly elected members took up their responsibilities on 01 January 2023 and will serve till 31 December 2024. Ecuador won the support of 190 member states that were present and voting. It returns to the UNSC after 30 years, last occupying the position in 1992.
During the presentation of the Ecuadorian candidacy President Guillermo Lasso said, “The country's contribution to the work of the Security Council will be supported by the same principles that guide the management of his government: dialogue, the encounter and conviction for peace and development.”[i] The government in its statement after the election results were announced stated, “Ecuador will serve on the Security Council prioritizing the peaceful solution of disputes; the protection of civilians in contexts of armed conflict; the women, peace and security agenda as a priority; non-proliferation and the fight against illicit arms trafficking; and attention to emerging threats in the context of sustainable peace efforts.”[ii]
President Guillermo Lasso’s speech to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September 2022 provides a guide to the areas that Ecuador would like to bring attention to during its tenure in the UNSC. In his address, President Lasso said that Ecuador will work within the principles of the UN Charter-Sovereign equality of States, good faith, peaceful resolution of disputes, territorial integrity, political independence, non-use of force to resolve disputes and full respect of human rights. President Lasso stated, “While these principles have preserved stability in the international order, currently they are being challenged.”[iii]
Highlighting the need to work together to build a world that is stable and peaceful, President Lasso stated that authoritarianism poses a challenge especially if it is in the government which works with actors that hide beyond the reach of national institutions in order to create some of the threats we currently faced. He further elaborated that Ecuador will work to “build a global order where all citizens are included, connected and represented; an interconnected world where opportunities flow from one corner of the world to another,”[iv] making it difficult for dictators to rise using the pretext of asymmetries within the global order. Therefore, strengthening multilateralism would be a priority for Ecuador during its tenure in the UNSC.
Another area of focus is addressing challenges that arise from illegal trafficking of drugs, people and arms. Ecuador is the third country with the highest volume of drug seizures, only behind Colombia and the United States, according to the World Drug Report 2022. Highlighting the threat emanating from these illegal activities, President Lasso stated that Ecuador has taken steps to dismantle these organisations that trafficked not only in drugs but also in people and are involved in money laundering and also illegal mining. He pointed out that such transnational crime help launder money to the tune of US$1.6-2.2 trillion, which is larger than the economies of many countries including Ecuador. Transnational crimes of such nature require a transnational solution. He appealed for greater cooperation among nations to strengthen institutions that will help address this challenge.
Focusing on combating gender violence is likely to be part of Ecuador’s security priorities within the UNSC. It was mentioned in both the statements after its election to the UNSC and by President Lasso in his address to the UNGA. Ecuador will also bring focus on the need to provide “ease of human mobility.” President Lasso pointed out that Ecuador has always opened its doors to refugees and migrants from the region.[v] The country is host to one of the largest number of refugees in the western hemisphere mainly from Colombia and Venezuela. Despite budgetary constraints Ecuador has provided them with support in the form of access to healthcare, education and social welfare. Ecuador is currently in the process of regularising the status of refugees who have come from Venezuela. President Lasso stated that the impact of so many refugees on any country is considerably high, but Ecuador’s commitment shows that it will continue to help the international community, addressing global challenges.[vi]
Climate change mitigation remains an important agenda for Ecuador. As one of the 17 countries with the greatest biodiversity in the world, Ecuador is committed to protecting the environment and preserving nature. Stress on climate change and sustainable development is a sign of its high commitment to environmental multilateralism. In the framework of the COP26 Glasgow, Ecuador announced the creation of a new marine reserve in the Galapagos Islands which increased by 60 percent the protected area under the reserve. This was complimented by the signature of the preservation and management of ecosystems included in the maritime corridor of the east tropical pacific with Colombia, Costa Rica and Panama. All of these actions provide the political impetus to finding new opportunities for cooperation, financing and technical assistance for conservation of not just Ecuadorian or regional biodiversity but global biodiversity.
The crisis in Ukraine is likely to continue to gain attention in the UNSC. Ecuador’s representative to the UN, Cristian Espinosa Cañizares, in October 2022, had stated that Ecuador “rejected the use of force by one State against another and … does not recognize the acquisition of territory by force. … rejected the referendums held by the Russian Federation in territories of Ukraine under foreign military occupation, stressing that these referendums lack legal validity and violate international law… appealed to the Russian Federation to withdraw its troops from Ukraine’s territories and reiterated Ecuador’s support for endeavours that promote diplomatic solutions.”[vii] President Lasso in his address to the UNGA has spoken of the food crisis as a result of the crisis which has aggravated malnutrition in various countries including Ecuador.
Conclusion
Ecuador takes the seat in the UNSC when the international order is facing a period of uncertainty and unprecedented challenges. While the focus on the Ukraine crisis will require attention, Ecuador’s commitment to work with the international community on the agenda of women’s development and against gender violence, peace and security, and fight against arms trafficking, building support for humanitarian assistance and support to peacekeeping operations is welcome. Ecuador’s tenure is likely to focus on transparency and the need to strengthen peace and stability of the international order through cooperation among its member States. As President Lasso stated in his address to the UNGA, Ecuador will contribute all efforts to bring stability and sustained peace.
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*Dr. Stuti Banerjee, Senior Research Fellow, Indian Council of World Affairs, New Delhi.
Disclaimer: The views expressed are personal.
Endnotes
[i] Embassy of Ecuador, Santiago, Chile, “Ecuador is elected a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, for the period 2023-2024,” https://www.cancilleria.gob.ec/chile/2022/06/09/ecuador-es-elegido-miembro-no-permanente-del-consejo-de-seguridad-de-las-naciones-unidas-para-el-periodo-2023-2024/, Accessed on 03 January 2023
[ii] Ibid.
[iii] Author’s transcript from the speech available at UN General Assembly, “Ecuador President’s Addresses the General Debate 77th General Assembly, 21 September 2022,” https://media.un.org/en/asset/k1g/k1ghk5kqlu, Accessed on 03 January 2023 (English version). Original speech is available at https://www.presidencia.gob.ec/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2022/09/2022.09.21-ASAMBLEA-77-ONU.pdf
[iv] Ibid.
[v] Ibid.
[vi] Ibid.
[vii] UN Press, Eleventh Emergency Special Session, 13th and 14th Meetings GA/12458, 12 October 2022, “With 143 votes in favour, 5 against, General Assembly adopts resolution condemning Russian Federation’s annexation of four eastern Ukraine regions,” https://press.un.org/en/2022/ga12458.doc.htm, Accessed on 03 January 2023