Nyore Madzianike-Senior Reporter
ZIMBABWE and the United Kingdom are holding a two-day dialogue on Harare’s forthcoming tenure at the United Nations Security Council, to exchange institutional experiences and build practical bilateral partnerships.
Elected in June as a non-permanent member, Zimbabwe will serve a two-year term from January 2027 to December 2028.
The discussions, which conclude today, are co-led by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Permanent Secretary Ambassador Albert Chimbindi and British Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mrs Gill Lever, alongside UK Head of the UN and Multilateral Department Ms Elizabeth Drew.
Deliberations focus on Council dynamics, the Elected Ten (E10), Council presidency procedures, African Three (A3+) coordination, UN-AU Resolution 2719, cybersecurity and small arms non-proliferation.
Delivering Ambassador Chimbindi’s official opening remarks, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Chief Director for Multilateral Affairs Ms Petronella Nyagura welcomed the initiative as a vital step in preparing Zimbabwe for global peace and security duties.
“This dialogue offers an opportunity to exchange experiences, deepen mutual understanding and, most importantly, build practical partnerships that can extend beyond our respective responsibilities in the Security Council. As we take up our membership, we are committed to contribute meaningfully to the promotion of international peace and security which are an essential foundation for sustainable development,” she said.
In his remarks, Ambassador Chimbindi noted that Zimbabwe’s tenure will be anchored on Section 12(1) of the Constitution, the UN Charter and regional frameworks, advancing priorities such as silencing the guns, counter-terrorism and the Women, Peace and Security Agenda.
“Zimbabwe’s engagement is guided by our Constitution, the Charter of the United Nations, relevant African union (AU) and SADC frameworks, particularly the principles of sovereign equality, respect for territorial integrity of member states, and foster peaceful co-existence among member states.
“As an African Union member state, we will work closely with the A3+ and the African Union to advance the continent’s priorities, strengthen African-led peace initiatives and deepen AU-UN cooperation. We will bring an impartial, principled and constructive approach, which aligns with our foreign policy objective of being ‘a friend to all and an enemy to none’,” he said.
He added that Zimbabwe aims to draw lessons from the UK’s longstanding experience as a permanent Council member, particularly regarding delegation coordination between Harare and its Permanent Mission in New York.
“We look forward to drawing on your institutional knowledge of Council negotiations, working methods, subsidiary bodies and the demands of Council membership.
“We are, also, interested in the institutional arrangements that underpin effective Council participation, including the organisation of delegations, development and clearance of national positions, negotiation strategies and coordination between capitals and Permanent Missions in New York.
“Strengthening the interface between Harare and our Mission in New York will be essential to ensuring coherent, informed and responsive participation in the Council,” he said.
While acknowledging that Harare and London may not always hold identical views on Council matters, Ambassador Chimbindi stressed the value of frank, sustained consultation.
“We recognise that our countries may not always share identical perspectives on matters before the Council. This should not constrain our cooperation but reinforce the value of sustained dialogue, mutual respect and constructive engagement across differences.
“We would welcome sustained engagement between our respective capitals and teams, including follow-up consultations as Zimbabwe assumes its Council responsibilities. Let me once again thank the Government of the United Kingdom for initiating this engagement. I trust that our discussions will be frank, forward-looking and productive, and will lay the foundation for a stronger and more substantive working relationship between our two countries.”
Ambassador Lever echoed the call for ongoing cooperation, noting that the engagement could establish direct communication channels on urgent global issues.
“I hope we will be able to establish a hotline for our foreign secretary and ministers to talk expeditiously to the Honourable Foreign Minister Murwira on urgent files.
“On the Council itself, there will be opportunities to work together on issues ranging from African peace and security, stronger UN and AU cooperation to peacekeeping, women peace and security, children in armed conflict, sanctions and conflict prevention and these are among the areas that we will be talking about over the next couple of days,” she said.
She expressed hope that the talks would foster lasting diplomatic habits between Harare, London and their respective missions in New York.
“We are here to exchange ideas and experience, but ultimately to turn them into action. Stronger cooperation between Harare and London, closer dialogue between our missions in New York and diplomatic partnerships that help us tackle some of the most difficult international challenges of our time.
“We have an opportunity to build a stronger diplomatic partnership between Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom and today’s exchange is a very good place to start,” she said.
Source: Zim, UK strengthen ties ahead of UNSC tenure – herald
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