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Jordan looks set to take Saudi Security Council seat: Western diplomats

09 November 2013 00:21 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Jordan appears set to take the traditional Arab seat on the U.N. Security Council after Saudi Arabia rejected the position in protest at the body's failure to end the Syria war and act on other Middle East issues, Western diplomats said on Friday, APA reports quoting Reuters.

The 193-member U.N. General Assembly elected Saudi Arabia last month to the Security Council for a two-year term from January 1, but in a surprise move, Riyadh declined the position a day after the vote.

While Saudi Arabia has made its decision known in a Foreign Ministry statement, it has not officially notified the United Nations. Most U.N. diplomats believe a formal letter needs to be received from Riyadh before a new election can be held.

Western diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it appeared Jordan had agreed to replace Saudi Arabia on the council, after dropping out of a race against Riyadh for a seat on the U.N. Human Rights Council.

Jordan's place on the Security Council would still need two-thirds approval by the General Assembly, diplomats said. The unprecedented move by Saudi Arabia to reject the Security Council seat and the emergence of Jordan as the alternative candidate has left diplomats scratching their heads.

Several U.N. diplomats have said Jordan would have been wary of replacing Saudi Arabia on the Security Council as it is so closely involved in key issues before the body. Jordan neighbors Syria and refugees from the more than 2 1/2 year civil war now represent one-tenth of Jordan's population.