Estonian formin: Every country must be able to have a say in UN

TALLINN - Every country must have a say in the United Nations, Estonian Foreign Minister Sven Mikser said when speaking at a youth forum held at the ministry on Wednesday.

"Estonia believes that every country regardless of its geographical location and size must have a say on important topics in the UN. We want to make the world a safer place and becoming a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council is currently our next goal," the foreign minister, who at the MUNOT student conference introduced Estonia's candidacy for the position of a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, said.

"The UN is a unique but very necessary organization in our system of international relations that maintains peace and promotes dialogue between countries. The norms and principles agreed upon by UN members create a framework for discussions between the governments of various countries," Mikser was quoted by ministry spokespeople as saying. "Of course, every organization must keep up with changes. So, in order to better fulfill goals, the UN must also make decision-making processes faster and more flexible and simultaneously aim for greater transparency," he said.

The foreign minister emphasized that the UN must move toward a more efficient preventive action. "We wish to see an organization that not only responds to crises, but is also able to prevent them. It is not always possible, but the ability to foresee conflicts must improve," Mikser said.

Mikser greeted participants of the MUNOT student conference at an opening ceremony held at the Foreign Ministry on Wednesday. MUNOT is an annual student conference that imitates the activity of the UN. The conference will last from Oct. 10 to 13, while the main organizer of the event is the Kadriorg German Gymnasium.