Egypt s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said that Egypt made independent decisions and maintained objectivity during its non-permanent membership at the UN Security Council for a two-year term that ended in late 2017.
The minister made the remarks at a ceremony celebrating the issuance of a special supplement of Al-Ahram s Al-Siyassa Al-Dawliya magazine on the country s Security Council membership. The ceremony was held at Al-Ahram headquarters in downtown Cairo on Wednesday.
Shoukry said that Egypt adhered to its standard policy and never bowed to any pressure by major powers or blocs to win support within the 15-member body.
The Security Council has five permanent members: China, France, the United States, Britain and Russia, and 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms by the UN General Assembly.
Shoukry said Egypt s stances during its membership in the council aimed to put the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the crisis in Syria at the centre of attention. It also spearheaded the UN s call for the withdrawal of the US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel s capital, and helped show the world the role of some regional powers in backing and financing terrorism.
The minister called for intensifying efforts to "fix" the council s voting system, saying that the right to veto by the five permanent members must be eliminated or regulated.
"There is an international consensus on the need to fix the work system at the Security Council, if not by eliminating the veto then by regulating its use to restrict [it] and guarantee it does not affect issues of stability and peace and the vital interests of nations."
He said, however, that the decades-long issue is far from being resolved.
"I cannot say that we are close to settling this issue. Stances remain different and some [stances] remain unknown."
An eight-minute documentary about Egypt s efforts during its two-year stint as a council member was played during the ceremony. The documentary highlighted Egypt s role in bringing the Palestinian-Israeli issue to the forefront, spearheading international counterterrorism efforts, working to improve the deteriorating humanitarian conditions of Syrians and promoting political settlement in Libya.
The film also said that Cairo brought special focus to African issues, the settlement of disputes in the continent, and promoting partnership between the African Union and the United Nations.
