Croatia elected to UN Peacebuilding Commission 16 May 2006 by General Assembly

Croatia based its candidacy for the Commission on its achievements in the successful transition from a peacekeeping forces receiving country to a country which successfully takes part in most of the UN peacekeeping operations. Croatia is host to numerous international courses on peacebuilding in post-conflict areas, and has and offers experience in the reconstruction and building of state institutions and international aid co-ordination.

With its membership, Croatia wishes to constructively contribute to solving the crisis worldwide and use its post-conflict experience to a positive end.

The Peacebuilding Commission is a UN body formed as a part of the World Organisation’s reform, began with the adoption of the Final Document at the meeting of the heads of state and prime ministers as a part of the 60th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, September 2005.

Out of 188 countries present, 119 voted for Croatia’s membership in the Commission.

The Peacebuilding Commission has 31 members, elected by the General Assembly, with the goal of co-ordinating the international community’s activities in crisis situations after the end of the peacekeeping operations and the start of a new development cycle. The Commission is the result of a need for a co-ordinated and unique approach to post-conflict peacebuilding.

The members are elected according to the following criteria: 7 Security Council members (5 permanent – US, Russia, China, UK and France, plus Denmark and Tanzania), 7 ECOSOC members (Angola, Guinea Bissau, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Belgium, plus Poland and the Czech Republic with a shared mandate), 5 out of 10 largest financial contributors to the UN (Japan, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Norway), 5 out of 10 largest military contributors to the UN peacekeeping operations (Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Nigeria and Ghana), and 7 members from the General Assembly category elected regionally (Egypt, Fiji, Chile, El Salvador, Jamaica, Burundi, Croatia).

Croatia is also a candidate for non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council, for which elections will be held in 2007.