Excellent analysis by Peter Jennings and Anthony Bergin. Australia has indeed the reputation and the capacity to deliver better diplomatic, security and development assistance outcomes in the Indo-Pacific and at the UNSC. This is why so many countries from across the world supported Australia's bid for the temporary seat at the UNSC.

Australia has many friends and supporters across the globe including European countries like the Republic of Macedonia who voted in support of Australia.

The challenge for the Australian Government and the Australian Parliament is to develop and implement an impact oriented agenda which will elevate our value adding capabilities to the address the most pressing issues that the UNSC will face in the next few years and beyond. The opportunity must not be squandered by lack of investment in upgrading DFAT's capacity to act in partnership with all key internal and external stakeholders to deliver better security, development and environmental outcomes for Australia, our region and the wider world. Senator Bobb Carr will need to mobilise all his supporters for collective impact including diasporas.

I don't think there is any benefit at all to Australia
being elected to the United Nations.

We are quite capable of ensuring security in the South Pacific
and protecting our oceans. We also have alliances that will support
us. All the United Nations will do is bleed us of money to prop
up failed states and require us to fight battles for other countries.

The United Nations failed to stop the slaughter in Rwanda,the Sudan,
the IRA, The killings, rape and plunder of Kuwait for three months before they acted. .

The United Nations has failed to stop the killing being carried out by
both the Palestinians and Israel. They have also been unable to stop the more than 35,000dead(last count)in Syria.

So tell me what good are they?

< Collectively these areas represent an ambitious agenda for important issues Australia might champion now that we have won a Security Council seat. >

I don’t get it, why do we need a seat on this Security Council thing to be able to take our issues forward and contribute to all manner of wider UN issues?

We should be able to do this anyway! All UN member countries should be able to be heard and to play a significant role in relevant affairs at any time.

Those countries that are not represented on the Security Council for the next two years can still work with the UN on security issues, can’t they?

They can’t possibly be muzzled, surely. So, what really IS the significance of a UN Security Council seat?

Lots of nice trips to New York Luddy, what the hell else do you think they spent out 30 million on?

Yep!

{ :>/

The money spent on the temporary seat has been totally wasted. In a time of cutbacks, money spent on the UN and foreign aid should be the second budget item to be eliminated. (The first should be politicians' salaries and expenses.) The only good thing to come out of the palestine vote is the small reduction in the US deficit, as Congress had previously passed legislation cutting off aid to the palestinians if this course was followed.

The sooner we can get all the parasites, hangers-on, consultants, academics and others who live off the largesse of the United Nations into the soup kitchens the better.

One of the basic principles of a successful life is to separate issues into those that you can change, and those that you can't. Having done that, the real step forward is not to worry about those you cannot change.