Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop announced on Wednesday that the government led by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull would willingly seek for a position at the UN Security Council in 2029-30 to ensure proper maintenance of international peace and security.

Bishop claimed that this was one of the most suitable chances for Australia to bid for the position in the UN Security Council as this is the first time a seat to be nominated is still uncontested. Australia had served on the Security Council with distinction for a two year tenure, which ended in December 2014.

On her tour to New York for the UN meeting this week, Bishop said that it is important for Australia to think seriously about international cooperation to handle global security challenges.

“Australia chaired the al-Qaida, Taliban and Iran sanctions committees and coordinated the council’s work on Afghanistan. We pressed for a concerted international response to the rise of Da’esh and the threat of foreign terrorist fighters,” she said in a statement.

The country also promoted the connections between human rights protection and political security and stability, putting North Korea’s human rights scenario as the top priority on its formal agenda, Bishop added.

Bishop had announced Australia's bid for the council’s seat on Tuesday evening, while addressing the General Assembly in New York.

“I don’t believe I will still be foreign minister at that time, I will leave that up to Prime Minister Wyatt Roy in 2029,” the foreign minister said, referring to Liberal's youngest MP, who is now just 25 years old.

However, while Shadow Foreign Minister and Deputy Leader of Opposition Tanya Plibersek praised the effort made by her federal counterpart of bidding for a non-permanent seat in the council in 2029-30, she told the ABC that the timeframe for announcing the seat bid for UN Security Council was “unambitious”. Bishop responded by saying the 14 year gap would afford the Government an opportunity to launch an effective campaign.

The coalition under the leadership of Tony Abbott had previously criticised the former Labor government’s proposal to seek a seat on the UN Security Council, claiming distortion of foreign policy priorities of Australia. Abbott had condemned then-PM Julia Gillard in 2012 for wandering around New York and talking about bidding for a seat, instead of visiting Jakarta to discuss border protection policies.

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