Australia has strong case for UN bid: Carr

AUSTRALIA has a fighting chance to win a non-permanent seat on the United Nation’s Security Council, Foreign Minister Bob Carr says.

Senator Carr is in New York for meetings with world leaders at the UN.

There are two non-permanent seats available and three candidates in an election scheduled for October.

“It’s very competitive,” Senator Carr told ABC Television on Wednesday.

“But we’ve got a very good case, a very strong case and the secretary-general (Ban Ki-moon) has acknowledged that.”

Senator Carr emphasised Australia’s significant contribution to peacekeeping missions, including Cambodia, East Timor, Solomon Islands and Afghanistan, since it previously held a seat in 1985.

Mr Ban had described Australia as an “exemplary UN member”.

“We believe this experience enables us to make a contribution to UN policy at the level of the security council,” Senator Carr said.

Australia’s bid for a seat was a pet project of former prime minister and foreign minister Kevin Rudd.