• Costa Rica Wins UN Security Council Seat
Dominican Republic withdrew its bid for a seat in the United Nations Security Council, paving the way for Costa Rica to occupy the post, declaring it was in defense of the unity and solidarity of Latin America and the Caribbean.
"The Unity of Latin America and the Caribbean is first of all and more than ever in a world riddled with difficulties", acting Dominican ambassador Enriquillo A. del Rosario Ceballos expressed when speaking at the plenary of the General Assembly.
The struggle between the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica for a rotating seat at the UN Security Council turned out in favour of Costa Rica from the beginning, although neither of them obtained the endorsement required in the first round of voting.
According to the count of voting papers, Costa Rica obtained 116 votes to Dominican Republic's 72 in the first round, though needed votes are 126 - two thirds of the General Assembly of the UN - to take the rotating seat in the powerful organism.
In a second round of voting, Costa Rica was backed up by 119 States and Dominican Republic by 70.
"We Dominicans want to give the world an expression of Latin American solidarity", ambassador Rosario Ceballos declared in the middle of prolonged applauses of the 192 States members of the Assembly.
During final voting, Costa Rica was elected with 179 votes in favor to occupy for two years from January 1st, 2008 the rotating seat at UN Security Council by the region of Latin America and Caribbean that Peru will leave unoccupied.
This will be the third time that Costa Rica occupies for two years a rotating seat at UN Security Council, first one was in 1974-1975 and 1997-1998.
According to the regulation for these elections, the candidates to occupy a rotating seat at UN Security Council must be back up by the two thirds of the 192 members of UN General Assembly.
More: Inside Costa Rica
