Ukraine became one of the founding-member of the UN in 1945. It was recognition of the Ukrainian nation contribution to the victory over fascism and strengthening of the peace in the world. Delegation of Ukraine took an active part in the founding conference in San Francisco and made a valuable contribution to the development of the UN Charter. Dmytro Manuilskyi, then People’s Commissar for International Affairs of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic and the Head of the Ukrainian delegation at the Conference in San Francisco, was elected Chairman of the First Committee, which elaborated the Preamble and Chapter 1 (Purposes and Principles) of the United Nations Charter. Ukraine was among the first nations to put its signature under the United Nations Charter, entering thus the group of the UN founding states of 51 nations.

 

Being a member of the Soviet Union until 1991, Ukraine de jure had its own Representation to the UN equivalently to the independent state. However, de facto Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic activity in the UN was limited within the framework of the common Soviet foreign policy.

Ukraine had been elected as the non-permanent member of the Security Council for four times during its membership in the UN (1948–1949, 1984–1985, 2000–2001, 2016–2017), as the member of the UN Economic and Social Council for six times (last time — 2010–2012), twice — as the member of the UN Human Rights Council (last time — 2008–2011).

 

In 1997 Hennadiy Udovenko, then Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine had been elected as the President of the 52 nd Session of the UN General Assembly. Ukraine is especially proud of the fact that it was the 52 nd Session of the UN General Assembly, which entered the history as the “session of reforms”, to endorse a comprehensive Program of the Organization’s reform, proposed by the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, and give a strong impetus to the process of a wide-scale reshaping of the Organization.

 

Ukraine’s election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the term of 2016–2017 for the second time since its independence became an acknowledgment of our state’s authority and role on the international arena as well as of its consistent and unbiased foreign policy, loyalty to the principles of democracy and rule of law, practical contribution to the peace and security building.

 

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