View from The Hill: Albanese seeks to advance Australia’s middle power diplomacy via UN Security Council seat

Anthony Albanese has formally launched Australia’s bid for one of the United Nations’ non-permanent seats in 2029-30, promising to be a strong advocate for “our Pacific family” and acknowledging the UN needs reform.

The Australian campaign has come with a slick video, featuring the prime minister, Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy and the Minister for International Development Anne Aly.

Albanese flagged the campaign will be more modest than that run by the previous Labor government for the seat Australia held in 2013-14, which cost about $25 million.

By the time Australia took its place the Coalition, which had criticised the campaign, was in power.

As things stand, there are only two candidates for the two available spots for 2029-30 – the other is Finland.

Regardless, countries have to be elected by two thirds of the General Assembly members voting.

Another country could nominate late but this is considered unlikely.

The vote will be in June 2028.

Australia has served on the security council five times, starting in 1946-47.

Its then ambassador to the United States, Norman Makin, was president at the council’s first session in 1946.

Australia was on the council in 1956-57, 1973-74 and 1985-86, before the 2013-14 stint.

After flight MH17 was downed over Ukraine by pro-Russian forces in 2014, with 38 Australian citizens and residents killed, then foreign minister Julie Bishop carried Australia’s strong response at the council .

There are 15 members of the security council, including five permanent members - the US, the United Kingdom, France, Russia and China.

The permanent members each has the power of veto.