Latvia to lead UN Security Council for first time in November

In November, Latvia will hold the presidency of the UN Security Council for the first time in history, committing to prioritize the situation in Ukraine and the challenges and opportunities presented by new technologies.

That is according to The Baltic Times, CE Report quotes Ukrinform.

Latvia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Sanita Pavluta-Deslandes, said that the presidency of the UN Security Council is a time when the presiding country's role in the UN Security Council is most visible.

She believes that Latvia's contribution to the work of the UN Security Council has been "consistent and purposeful at all times," but Latvia will be able to use the presidency both to defend Latvia's interests and values and to promote the country's visibility, as well as to demonstrate a responsible stance.

The UN Security Council's agenda consists mainly, or 90 percent, of cyclical, mandatory, and regular meetings; however, the presiding country may include one or two so-called ad hoc meetings on the agenda to highlight a topic of particular importance to it.

Pavluta-Deslandes added that Latvia would devote these meetings to its national priorities at the UN Security Council.

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She said that through its participation in the UN Security Council, Latvia has gained an even better understanding and awareness that it must defend its independence and freedom every single day.

She noted that this is the main goal of Latvia's membership in the UN Security Council: strengthening its own security, including by supporting Ukraine.

"We are making every effort to keep Russia's war in Ukraine high on the UN Security Council's agenda, to prevent the normalization of Russia's aggression against Ukraine, to counter Russian propaganda and lies, and to explain Russia's imperialist goals and their global consequences to the international community," Pavluta-Deslandes said.

This year, the UN Security Council has held 16 official meetings on Ukraine. Almost all of them were convened by Latvia together with its European allies at Ukraine's request.

Last year, UN member states voted to elect Latvia to the UN Security Council for the 2026-2027 term.

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