Egypt's membership in the Security Council (2016-2017) comes in line with its leading role as a beacon of stability in the Middle East and Africa. It is a decisive statement of Egypt's rising status to global prominence, with all its valuable efforts in support of peace and security in the region and the world, and its role in advancing the interests of the Arab, African and developing countries.
Egypt's efforts at the council rest on steadfast positions, a clear vision and an unwavering commitment towards the restoration of the security and stability of the turbulent region of the Middle East, which is mired in conflicts and plagued with the spread of extremism and terrorist groups, that trade religion for narrow interests and undermine the concept of the nation state.
Throughout its chairmanship of the council in May 2016 and its presidency of the UN Counter terrorism committee, Egypt has achieved great strides in enhancing international efforts against extremist ideology. Egypt's chairmanship called for a ministerial discussion among council members, which set forth an executive framework with specific measures to tackle the perverted thinking that fuels terrorism.
Egypt has managed to uphold the main international references and resolutions in support of the Palestinian cause and all efforts aim at reaching a political solution that secure the establishment of the Palestinian state along the borders of June 4th 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Egyptian diplomacy has also managed to push forward its priorities and vision towards the restoration of security and stability in Libya and the preservation of its territorial integrity and national institutions, chief among them the Libyan National Army.
Egypt's positions with regards to the Syrian crisis and its voting pattern on pertinent draft resolutions at the council is derived from its national commitment and inherent desire to rescue the Syrian people from this extended ordeal. Such positions also aim at working on a practical and swift formula to stop the bloodshed, ease the aggravated humanitarian situation, and bring to an end five years of failure in reaching a unified vision for a comprehensive political solution that preserves Syria's territorial integrity and prevents the descent of its institutions into further chaos, which would only benefit terrorist organizations.
Egypt's membership of the Security Council along with its membership of the African Union Peace and Security Council has provided it with a platform to showcase the African dimension of its foreign policy and its influential role in settling the continent's conflicts. Egypt has successfully affirmed the importance of building a strategic relationship with the African Union on peacekeeping and peace building, in a way that responds to African concerns and independence. This was very critical in advancing our leading role in Africa and in enhancing the efforts of both the Cairo Center for Conflict Resolution and Peacekeeping and the Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development.
Egypt has demonstrated during its membership solid and independent positions and views. It has also proven its ability to speak for the broad base of the UN membership and demonstrate a firm commitment and keenness to cooperate with other parties in order to reach consensus on international peace and security issues. Such positions were highly regarded and appreciated by regional and international parties.