United Nations Organization
The United Nations was established on October 24, 1945, and currently has 193 member-states. The principal purposes of the organization are international peace and security, development, and international cooperation among nations in resolving international crises and promoting the protection of human rights.
The work that the UN has accomplished and continues to perform in these areas is of great significance. A key instrument for achieving international peace and security is the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, which currently number 14 (Greece participates in the UN's Peacekeeping Force UNIFIL in Lebanon with a frigate and a Liaison Officer at the UNIFIL Headquarters).
In brief, the United Nations influences the daily lives of billions of people worldwide through its efforts to safeguard human rights and respond to humanitarian catastrophes, its crisis management and its involvement in global disarmament agreements, as well as environmental protection and food aid programs.
The scope of the organization's activities is constantly expanding, aiming to effectively address new challenges (e.g. the spread of epidemics). In order for the UN to become more agile and effective, particularly in the exercise of preventive diplomacy, and to more accurately address the modern political-economic reality, the reform of the organization, which Greece supports, is under discussion in the United Nations General Assembly.
The United Nations are called upon to affirm their leadership role in promoting the implementation of the Development Goals of the Agenda 2030. Achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals is a firm priority of Greek policy and for this reason, our country has actively participated in all the ongoing processes, emphasizing the interconnection between the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. Greece also places particular importance on achieving the environmental goals of the Paris Agreement on Climate, actively participating in the Climate Ambition Summit, as well as in the protection and management of the marine environment and its resources. In this regard, special mention should be made of the consensus adoption of the (third) Implementing Agreement of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) concerning the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction ("BBNJ Agreement") 1. Greece has actively participated in the protracted negotiations for the drafting of the Agreement (2004-2023) and signed it on September 21, 2023.
Greece is among the 51 founding members of the UN. Our country remains fully committed to the UN's universal ideals, ardently supports the Organization as the guardian of international legal order, and actively participates in its proceedings. The main pillars of Greece's active presence in the Organization can be summarized as follows: promotion of democratic principles of governance, peaceful settlement of disputes, strict adherence to the rules of International Law, and full respect for human rights.
Greece was elected for the third time as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2025-2026 term. The six priorities that our country has set for its term to the Security Council are the following: Peaceful settlement of disputes, Respect for International Law and the rules and principles of the UN Charter, Women, Peace and Security, Climate, Peace and Security, Children and Armed Conflicts, and Maritime Security, while our tenure is guided by the slogan "Dialogue, Diplomacy, Democracy (3Ds)".
1 Full title "Agreement under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biodiversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction".
Useful links:
UN Regional Information Centre
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