New Zealand, Venezuela, Malaysia and Angola won seats on the United Nations Security Council on Thursday for two years from Jan. 1, 2015, while a runoff vote between Spain and Turkey was taking place to decide who gets the fifth available spot.
The 193-member UN General Assembly elected Venezuela with 181 votes in favor, Malaysia with 187 votes, Angola with 190 vote and New Zealand with 145 votes.
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Canada, which lost its own bid for a Security Council seat in 2010, had thrown its support behind New Zealand, according to a source familiar with the New Zealand bid. New Zealand is a long-time ally that had promised a stronger voice for less influential countries.
Internal records obtained through Access to Information laws show the Canadian government expressed support for New Zealand's bid and may have lobbied Caribbean countries on New Zealand's behalf. 'Canada is actively supporting New Zealand's bid for election to the United Nations Security Council for 2015-16, particularly among Caribbean nations,' says a memo for the Prime Minister, dated April 12, 2013.
A second document, prepared for a meeting between Canadian Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney and then-New Zealand justice minister Judith Collins in July, 2013, said Canada supports New Zealand's bid and 'is happy to share lessons learned from our previous campaign for a [UN Security Council] seat.'
With a report from Kim Mackrael
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Posted by Unknown on Thursday, October 16, 2014 - Rating: 4.5
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