The NDP takes “great pride” in SVG’s Security Council Seat

The opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) says it is proud that St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) has secured a seat as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.

In a release issued Sunday, two days after the June 7, 2019 vote at the United Nations, SVG’s main opposition party said: “The NDP, along with the Government and people of SVG, takes great pride in this achievement.”

SVG has secured a non-permanent seat on the Security Council for the two-year period from 2020 to 2021, beginning January 1, 2020.

“The NDP is ready to continue to take up SVG’s Security Council seat when the people of our country give us the mandate to form government,”the release said.

General Elections in SVG are constitutionally due in December 2020.

“The non-permanent seats on the Security Council are distributed on a regional basis, into five blocs. SVG belongs to the Latin American and Caribbean states group. We thank all countries who voted for SVG, especially the Latin American and Caribbean Countries who supported SVG’s candidacy from the regional Bloc.

“The New Democratic Party believes that a seat on the UN Security Council will raise the profile of SVG internationally and can bring valuable experience and opportunities to our country. We expect that SVG will use this high-profile international position to demonstrate our longstanding belief in the principles of democracy, protection of human rights, collective security and the peaceful resolution of disputes, and to promote matters that affect us directly such as the destructive effects of climate change.

“SVG must also capitalize on its higher visibility to promote wherever possible our economic interests, such as the marketing of tourism and enhancing international economic ties,” the release said.