By Antony Chawagarira
NEW YORK — Zimbabwe has outlined its priorities ahead of its 2027–2028 tenure on the United Nations Security Council, with preventive diplomacy, mediation and the peaceful resolution of disputes set to take centre stage.
Addressing the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe would approach its Security Council responsibilities with humility, independence and a commitment to serving the interests of the international community.
Zimbabwe was elected to serve on the UN Security Council for the 2027–2028 term, a responsibility President Mnangagwa said the country would undertake guided by its foreign policy principle of being “a friend to all and an enemy to none”.
He said Zimbabwe would prioritise preventive diplomacy and mediation while addressing the underlying causes of conflicts and insecurity.
President Mnangagwa also called for renewed confidence in the multilateral security system, arguing that the Security Council should reflect contemporary global realities rather than the geopolitical circumstances that existed when the United Nations was established in 1945.
He said Africa’s longstanding call for greater representation on the Security Council, as articulated through the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration, should be addressed.
The Ezulwini Consensus advocates comprehensive reform of the UN Security Council, including permanent African representation.
President Mnangagwa said the changing global landscape required a more inclusive approach to international decision-making.
He also stressed that Africa’s growing role in global affairs should be recognised, saying outdated notions of unequal relations between countries had no place in contemporary international diplomacy.
Zimbabwe’s forthcoming tenure will provide the country with an opportunity to contribute to discussions on international peace and security while advancing Africa’s position on reform of the multilateral system.
