The United Nations was born from the ashes of the most lethal war the world has ever encountered. Its founders’ primary goal was to prevent any of the atrocities of the Second World War from ever repeating themselves. In its 50 years of existence the Organization has had an excellent record of achievements. Its membership has increased from 50 founding members to 191. The values it stands for have become part of everyday life. In some cases "reality" prevented the UN from providing solutions. Yet, we always need to bear in mind that it is usually lack of common will of its members that prevents the Organization from taking action.

One of the UN’s most important responsibilities is the maintenance of Peace and Security. The Charter provides the framework for the Organization to respond to various challenges. More and more issues of peace and security interrelate with issues of development and human rights. New threats emerge demanding immediate action. The General Assembly and the Security Council have taken up the task of trying to create conditions of stability, increasingly taking advantage of some regional organizations’ comparative advantages. But primary responsibility for Peace and Security rests with the United Nations.

Greece has consistently over the years worked closely with other members of the General Assembly, trying to build bridges of understanding. Some times success has been elusive but we are proud that our conviction to international law and human rights has guided us through this journey.

On October 15th 2004, Greece was elected as a non permanent member of the Security Council for the biennium 2005-2006. Throughout our tenure, we cooperated closely with all members of the Organization and representatives of Civil Society in our effort to support the effectiveness of the Council, be constructive and hopefully build a safer world for the coming generations.

This webpage contains information regarding the UN Security Council, Peacekeeping, Disarmament and Sanctions. It also contains information on Greece’s participation in the Security Council.

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