Albania and the United Nations

Last updated

Republic of Albania
Flag of the United Nations.svg Flag of Albania.svg
United Nations membership
MembershipFull member
Since14 December 1955 (1955-12-14)
Former name(s) People's Republic of Albania (1955–1976)
People's Socialist Republic of Albania (1976–1991)
UNSC seatNon-permanent
Permanent Representative Ferit Hoxha

The People's Socialist Republic of Albania joined the United Nations on 14 December 1955, and has participated in several UN peacekeeping operations. The current Representative of Albania in the UN is Mr. Ferit Hoxha. Albania is a non-permanent member of the 15-country UN Security Council for the two-year term (2022–2023).

Contents

History

1955–99

After joining in 1955, Albania started to apply for membership in other organisations of the United Nations. [1] On 16 October 1958 Albania became a permanent member of UNESCO. [2]

From the 1960s onwards, the People's Republic of Albania under Enver Hoxha moved an annual resolution in the General Assembly to expel the "representatives of Chiang Kai-shek" (an implicit reference to the ROC) and permit the People's Republic of China (PRC) to represent China at the UN. Albania played an important role in the process of recognizing the PRC as "the only legitimate representative of China to the United Nations" through United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758, which was adopted on 25 October 1971. [3]

In November 1973 Albania joined the Food and Agriculture Organization. [4]

During 12–13 May 1990 the UN Secretary-General Javier Pérez de Cuéllar visited Albania. [5]

In 1992 the Convention on the Rights of the Child was ratified by Albania, marking important progress on the human rights record of the newly democratic country. [6]

Evacuations in the Albanian capital of Tirana after Resolutions 1101 and 1114 Operation Silver Wake.JPG
Evacuations in the Albanian capital of Tirana after Resolutions 1101 and 1114

In 1994 another resolution was prepared and introduced by the Albanian delegation to the UN, this time about the "Situation of Human Rights in Kosovo". Albania served as the main sponsor of the resolution, which was adopted with a clear majority of the UN membership. In 1995 the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Albania to the UN was elected vice president of the 50th session of the UN General Assembly. [7]

After the 1997 rebellion in Albania, the UN adopted United Nations Security Council Resolution 1101 on 28 March 1997, after reiterating its concern over the situation in Albania. The Security Council established a multinational protection force in the country to create conditions to facilitate humanitarian assistance. [8] On 19 June 1997 after recalling Resolution 1101 on the situation in Albania, the council authorized an extension to the multinational force in the country for a further 45 days, beginning on 28 June 1997 through United Nations Security Council Resolution 1114. [9]

2000–present

In 2005 Albania was elected for the first time a member of the United Nations Economic and Social Council, for a two-year term until 2007, and in 2012 reelected for the second time. In 2013 it also served as vice president of the ECOSOC. [10]

During 2007–09 it was member of the governing board of the International Atomic Energy Agency. [11]

On October 21, 2014, Albania joined the United Nations Human Rights Council for the term 2015–17, and was elected vice-president of its Bureau for 2015. [12]

Ambassador Besiana Kadare presented her credentials to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in 2016, and since then has been the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Permanent Representative of Albania to the United Nations in New York. [13] On 27 January 2019, marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Kadare co-hosted together with the World Jewish Congress and the United Nations Department of Global Communications a conference titled "A Story of Humanity: The Rescue of Jews in Albania." [14] [15] [16] In June 2020 Kadare was voted a vice president of the United Nations General Assembly for its 75th session. [17] [18] [19]

Albania was voted to become a member of the 15-country UN Security Council for a two-year term, in 2022–23. [20] Kadare said Albania's priorities in the Security Council will include a focus on women, peace, and security, promoting human rights and international law, preventing conflicts, protecting civilians, countering violent extremism, addressing climate change and its links to security, and strengthening multilateralism and the rules-based international order. [20] The election took place on June 11, 2021. [20] [21]

Peacekeeping missions

Albania has participated in the following peacekeeping missions led by the UN:

Country Current Mission OrganizationNo. of personnel
Flag of Georgia.svg Georgia UNOMIG United Nations 39 military observers [22]
Flag of Cote d'Ivoire.svg Ivory Coast UNOCI United Nations
Flag of Liberia.svg Liberia UNMIL United Nations
Flag of the Central African Republic.svg Flag of Chad.svg CAR, Chad MINURCAT United Nations63 troops [23]
Flag of South Sudan.svg South Sudan UNMISS United Nations

Representatives

Ambassador Besiana Kadare in the UN General Assembly Hall Besiana Kadare at UN.jpg
Ambassador Besiana Kadare in the UN General Assembly Hall
No.Name
Term served
1 Gaqo Paze 19551958
2 Reis Malile 19581961
3Halim Budo19611970
4Sami Baholli19701977
5Abdi Baleta19771983
6Justin Papajorgji19831986
7 Bashkim Pitarka 19861992
8 Thanas Shkurti 19921994
9 Pëllumb Kulla 19931997
10 Agim Nesho 19972006
11 Adrian Neritani 27 April 20062009
12 Ferit Hoxha 5 August 20091 October 2015
13 Besiana Kadare 30 January 20161 October 2021
Ferit Hoxha 26 October 2021present [24]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations</span> Intergovernmental self-regulatory body

The United Nations (UN) is a diplomatic and political international organization with the intended purpose of maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations, achieving international cooperation, and serving as a center for coordinating the actions of member nations. It is widely recognised as the world's largest international organization. The UN is headquartered in New York City, in international territory with certain privileges extraterritorial to the United States, and the UN has other offices in Geneva, Nairobi, Vienna, and The Hague, where the International Court of Justice is headquartered at the Peace Palace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Security Council</span> One of the six principal organs of the UN

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, and approving any changes to the UN Charter. Its powers as outlined in the United Nations Charter include establishing peacekeeping operations, enacting international sanctions, and authorizing military action. The UNSC is the only UN body with authority to issue resolutions that are binding on member states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations General Assembly</span> One of the six principal organs of the UN

The United Nations General Assembly is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as its main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ. Currently in its 78th session, its powers, composition, functions, and procedures are set out in Chapter IV of the United Nations Charter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo</span> Officially mandated mission of the United Nations in Kosovo

The United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo is the officially mandated mission of the United Nations in Kosovo. The UNMIK describes its mandate as being to "help the United Nations Security Council achieve an overall objective, namely, to ensure conditions for a peaceful and normal life for all inhabitants of Kosovo and advance regional stability in the Western Balkans."

China is one of the members of the United Nations and is one of five permanent members of its Security Council. One of the victorious Allies of World War II, the Republic of China (ROC) joined the UN upon its founding in 1945. The subsequent resumption of the Chinese Civil War between the government of Republic of China and the rebel forces of the Chinese Communist Party, led to the latter's victory on the mainland and the establishment of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1949. Nearly all of Mainland China was soon under its control and the ROC government retreated to the island of Taiwan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the United Nations</span>

The history of the United Nations has its origins in World War II beginning with the Declaration of St James's Palace. Taking up the Wilsonian mantle in 1944–1945, US President Franklin D. Roosevelt pushed as his highest postwar priority the establishment of the United Nations to replace the defunct League of Nations. Roosevelt planned that it would be controlled by the United States, Soviet Union, United Kingdom and China. He expected this Big Four would resolve all major world problems at the powerful Security Council. However the UN was largely paralyzed by the veto of the Soviet Union when dealing with Cold War issues from 1947 to 1989. Since then its aims and activities have expanded to make it the archetypal international body in the early 21st century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Mission in Liberia</span> Peacekeeping operation in West Africa

The United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) was a United Nations peacekeeping operation established in September 2003 to monitor a ceasefire agreement in Liberia following the resignation of President Charles Taylor and the conclusion of the Second Liberian Civil War (1999–2003). At its peak it consisted of up to 15,000 UN military personnel and 1,115 police officers, along with civilian political advisors and aid workers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Regional Groups</span> Geopolitical regional groups of the United Nations

The United Nations Regional Groups are the geopolitical regional groups of member states of the United Nations. Originally, the UN member states were unofficially organized into five groups as an informal means of sharing the distribution of posts for General Assembly committees. Now this grouping has taken on a much more expansive and official role. Many UN bodies are allocated on the basis of geographical representation. Top leadership positions, including Secretary-General and President of the General Assembly, are rotated among the regional groups. The groups also coordinate substantive policy and form common fronts for negotiations and bloc voting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Holocaust Remembrance Day</span> International memorial day on 27 January for the victims of Nazi genocides

The International Holocaust Remembrance Day, or the International Day in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust, is an international memorial day on 27 January that commemorates the victims of the Holocaust, which resulted in the genocide of one third of the Jewish people, along with countless members of other minorities by Nazi Germany between 1933 and 1945, an attempt to implement its "final solution" to the Jewish question. 27 January was chosen to commemorate the date when the Auschwitz concentration camp was liberated by the Red Army in 1945.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">France and the United Nations</span>

France has been a member of the United Nations (UN) since its foundation in 1945 and is one of the five countries, alongside China, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, that holds a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), which is responsible for maintaining international peace and security.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the United Nations:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albania–Israel relations</span> Bilateral relations

Albania has recognized Israel as a state since April 19, 1949. Diplomatic relations between the countries were established on August 19, 1991. Albania has an embassy in Tel Aviv and Israel has an embassy in Tirana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferit Hoxha</span> Albanian diplomat

Ferit Hoxha is the Permanent Representative of Albania to the United Nations, in New York City. He previously served in the role from 2009 to 2015, was succeeded by Besiana Kadare, and again assumed the role in October 2021.

Helena "Elena" Kadare is an Albanian screenwriter, translator and author of short stories and novels. One of the latter, 1970's Një lindje e vështirë, is the first novel by a woman to have been published in Albania. A Woman from Tirana (1990) is the novel of Kadare's that is perhaps her most widely read.

Indonesia officially became the 60th member of the United Nations on 28 September 1950, in accordance with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 86 two days before, and the United Nations General Assembly resolution number A/RES/491 (V) on the "admission of the Republic of Indonesia to membership in the United Nations", less than one year after the independence of Indonesia's by the Netherlands at the Dutch–Indonesian Round Table Conference in the Hague.

Sylvester E. Rowe is a former Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone to the United Nations. He joined the Mission in 1997 as an adviser after a distinguished career in the United Nations Secretariat spanning three decades during which he served in several capacities including head of the UN Radio and Television Services; a speech writer and Spokesman for the President of the 39th session of the UN General Assembly (1984–85), and a member of the panel of counsel in the UN administration of justice system – the Joint Appeals Board and the Administrative Tribunal. In 1994 he served as a resource person in Ambassador Brahimi's special mission on behalf of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, to Liberia and the ECOWAS Chair in Ghana, aimed at facilitating implementation of the Cotonou Peace Agreement for Liberia.

Malaysia became the 82nd member of the United Nations on 17 September 1957. Malaysia has held a rotational non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for four terms, and has participated in over 30 United Nations peacekeeping missions since October 1960.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Besiana Kadare</span> Albanian diplomat

Besiana Kadare is an Albanian diplomat. She served as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Permanent Representative of Albania to the United Nations, a vice president of the United Nations General Assembly for its 75th session, and Albania's ambassador to Cuba. Albania sat on the UN Security Council for a two-year term, 2022–23. She was formerly from 2011 to 2016 Albania's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and Permanent Delegate to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris. She is the daughter of writers Helena Kadare and Ismail Kadare.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Permanent Mission of Mexico to the United Nations</span>

The Permanent Mission of Mexico to the United Nations is the diplomatic mission of Mexico to the United Nations in New York. The Mission is represented by the Permanent Representative. The current Mexican Permanent Representative to the United Nations is Juan Ramón de la Fuente.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bangladesh and the United Nations</span>

Bangladesh and the United Nations have a strong relationship. Bangladesh is one of the largest troop contributing countries in the world.

References

  1. "Growth in United Nations membership, 1945-present". www.un.org. 6 August 2015.
  2. "Albania | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization". pax.unesco.org.[ permanent dead link ]
  3. Winkler, Sigrid (June 2012). "Taiwan's UN Dilemma: To Be or Not To Be". Brookings Institution . Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  4. "FAO Member States and Dates of Accession to the Organization," FAO.org.
  5. Binder, David (12 May 1990). "Evolution in Europe; PEREZ DE CUELLAR VISITS ALBANIANS". The New York Times.
  6. "Ratification of International Human Rights Treaties - Albania". University of Minnesota Human Rights Library.
  7. "Press Brochure", punetejashtme.gov.al.
  8. "Security Council welcomes establishment of multinational protection force in Albania". United Nations. 28 March 1997.
  9. "Security Council resolution 1114 (1997) on the situation in Albania". ReliefWeb.
  10. "60 years Albania in UN | Albanian Embassy in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia". www.ambasadat.gov.al.
  11. "ALBANIA IN UNITED NATIONS ORGANIZATIONS IN VIENNA | Permanent Mission of the Republic of Albania to the International Organizations Vienna". www.ambasadat.gov.al.
  12. "Albania and the United Nations; 60 Years of Partnership" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 January 2017. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
  13. "Permanent Missions to the United Nations, No. 307". United Nations DGACM. 2019. ISBN   9789210479240 . Retrieved 19 December 2019.{{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  14. "'Leaders who sanction hate speech' encourage citizens to do likewise, UN communications chief tells Holocaust remembrance event". UN News. 31 January 2019. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
  15. "WJC and Albanian Mission to UN Held Special Briefing on Rescue of Albanian Jews During Holocaust". The Jewish Voice. 4 February 2019. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
  16. "Besiana Kadare: "A story of humanity: the rescue of Jews in Albania"". Albspirit. 4 February 2019. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
  17. Shkruar nga Anabel (1 July 2020). "Ismail Kadare's daughter is appointed vice president of the UN General Assembly," Anabel Magazine.
  18. E. Halili (1 July 2020). "Kadare's Daughter UN Vice President, Meta: Good Opportunity for Albania," Albanian Daily News.
  19. "Besiana Kadare elected Vice President of the UN General Assembly," Oculus News, 1 July 2020.
  20. 1 2 3 Rudina Hoxha (April 2021). "Albania Bids for a 2-year Mandate in the United Nations Security Council; Exclusive Interview with Besiana Kadare". Trailblazing Magazine.
  21. "Brazil, UAE, Albania, Ghana and Gabon win UN council seats". Federal News Network. 11 June 2021.
  22. "Peacekeeping Contributor Profile: Albania". Providing for Peacekeeping. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
  23. Albanian MoD website Archived 11 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine , accessed 22 February 2010
  24. "Albanian Ambassadors to the United Nations - Permanent Mission of Albania to the United Nations - Official page of Albanian President". president.al. Retrieved 21 October 2021.