DOMINICANS DECLARE FOR UN SECURITY COUNCIL, 2008-09

UNCLAS SANTO DOMINGO 002946 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR IO, IO/UNP, WHA/CAR SEARBY E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL UNGA UNSC DR SUBJECT: DOMINICANS DECLARE FOR UN SECURITY COUNCIL, 2008-09 ¶1. In a diplomatic note received by the Embassy on September 7, the Dominican Ministry of Foreign Affairs formally relayed the Dominican Republic's candidacy for non-permanent membership on the United Nations Security Council for the period of 2008-09, with elections to be held during the 62nd UN General Assembly in September 2007. Post assumes that the Department does not wish to provide an answer to the Dominicans at this early stage. ¶2. Following is an informal Embassy translation of the notification. A copy of the original document has been pouched to WHA/CAR. ¶3. Start translation: (Title) Candidature of the Dominican Republic for Non-Permanent Membership on the Security Council, 2008-2009 (Begin text) The Dominican Republic has presented its candidacy for a position as non-permanent member of the Security Council for the 2008-09 biennium. Our country, one of the signers of the Constitutive Act of the United Nations at the historic meeting in San Francisco in 1945, has played a consistent role since then in every request of the institution in the areas of human rights, women's rights, refugees, economic and social rights, the right to self-determination of peoples, the principal of state sovereignty, and peace. The Dominican Republic has been and is an active participant in every request relating to our region, and likewise is a member of the NAM and the Group of 77 plus China. The Dominican Republic considers of particular importance the maintenance of peace and security, but likewise considers that the same cannot depend solely on timely military and political operations, as we find both this problem and its possible solutions to be based in sustainable development. We believe it necessary, in order to maintain an adequate equilibrium in the representation of an organ of such political importance as the Security Council, that there should be increased opportunities for regional blocks, such as the Caribbean, and a more significant presence of groups representative of the developing world, such as the NAM. Our history of systematic participation in the United Nations and its different requests confirms legitimacy to the aspiration of the Dominican Republic to be a non-permanent member of the Security Council, of which it has never been a part. Our promise is to be a worthy representative of the hemisphere and specifically the Caribbean subregion, as well as the ideals that gave birth to our movement. We are conscious of the importance that attaches to Security Council membership and our country is disposed to take on the responsibility to participate with a sprit of cooperation and solidarity in the decisions taken for the maintenance of world peace, democratic governance, respect for human rights, and the struggle against poverty. Taking into consideration the 61 years of experience and activity in the United Nations and the right of geographic representation and equality enjoyed by all Member States, the Dominican Republic stands as a candidate, for the period understood as falling between January 2008 and December 2009, for a seat as a non-permanent member of the Security Council. Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic August 2006 (End text) HERTELL