On the first working day of the new year at the United Nations Headquarters, the Permanent Mission of Kazakhstan to the UN hosted a solemn ceremony to raise the flags of the newly elected members of the UN Security Council for the 2024-2025 term, DKNews.kz reports.
The permanent representatives of Algeria, Guyana, Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone and representative of Slovenia raised their national flags in front of the UN Security Council Chamber during the ceremony.
The tradition of hosting the ceremony on the first working day of the United Nations Security Council in the new year was purportedly established by Kazakhstan in January 2018 during its tenure as the chair of this pivotal organ of the world organization.
In his opening remarks, the Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan to the UN H.E. Mr. Akan Rakhmetullin emphasized that the decisions made by the UN, particularly by the Security Council with its permanent and non-permanent members, will play a significant role in shaping global peace, security, and sustainable development in 2024.
The Permanent Representatives of the new non-permanent members of the UN Security Council expressed their gratitude to Kazakhstan for organizing the event. During the ceremony, they also introduced their priorities for their term on the Council for 2024-2025.
The Security Council comprises five permanent members (China, France, Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America) and 10 non-permanent members, with five elected each year by the General Assembly for a two-year term.
Before Kazakhstan’s initiative, changing the flags of non-permanent members at the entrance to the Security Council Chamber was a routine technical procedure. However, with the introduction of a new tradition in 2018, this process evolved into an official event in the annual program of the first day of the UN Security Council. This event now involves broad participation from representatives of UN member countries and the global media.
In January 2019, the Permanent Mission of Kazakhstan presented handmade flag stands to the UN as a gift for Security Council members. These stands were crafted in Kazakhstan and adorned in the national style.
