Saudi Arabia Rejects UN Security Council Seat

Saudi Arabia – along with Chad, Chile, Lithuania and Nigeria – won a secret vote in the UN General Assembly for rotating seats on the UN Security Council and became the first country to reject the honor. “Its diplomats cited the council’s inability to take firm action on the current crisis in Syria (ostensibly the fault of vetoes from Russia and China) and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (ostensibly the fault of the U.S.),” reports Nate Rawlings for Time. “The rejection was especially surprising because Saudi Arabia had lobbied for the seat.” The United Nations has yet to decide whether to replace Saudi Arabia or work with the other nine rotating members and five permanent members. With the move, Saudi Arabia may be pointing out marginalization of rotating members and need for UN reform, but it also is missing an opportunity to influence issues of concern for the Middle East including war in Syria, Iran’s nuclear program, and the region’s growing refugee population. – YaleGlobal