3 August 2016 In a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, Erlan Idrissov, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon congratulated the country on its recent election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, as well on its signing of the Paris Agreement under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
According to a readout issued late yesterday by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, the UN chief and the Minister also exchanged views on projects in the field of sustainable development related to the cooperation between the UN and Kazakhstan, and the initiatives the country is spearheading in the UN.
Kazakhstan, along with Sweden, Bolivia and Ethiopia, were elected to serve on Security Council for a two year term, starting from 1 January 2017. The remaining seat will be shared by Italy and the Netherlands, each with a one-year term.
The Security Council has 15 members, including five permanent. The five permanent members, each with the power of veto, are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Other current non-permanent members are Japan, Egypt, Senegal, Ukraine and Uruguay.
On 22 April, the day the Agreement was opened for signature, 174 countries and the European Union signed the accord at a high-level ceremony convened by the Secretary General at UN Headquarters in New York.
Also, of the 180 signatory countries, 22 have deposited their instruments of ratification, acceptance or approval.
The agreement will enter into force 30 days after at least 55 countries, accounting for 55 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, deposit their instruments of ratification or acceptance with the Secretary-General.
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