At the 46th session of the UN General Assembly, held on March 2, 1992, a resolution was adopted on the admission of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the membership of the UN, and the state flag of Azerbaijan was raised in front of the UN residence in New York as a member of the organization. Cooperation with the organization over all these years has not only strengthened the international position of our country and the close integration of Azerbaijan into the world community, but also provided an opportunity for exposing the aggressive policy of Armenia.  
   
The UN Security Council is the highest permanent body. According to the UN Charter, it bears the primary responsibility for the maintenance of the international peace and security. The Council consists of 15 members: 5 permanent (China, France, Russia, UK and USA) and 10 non-permanent members elected for 2 years. Each council member has one vote. Decisions on procedural issues are considered adopted by voting of 9 members of the Council. On October 24, 2011, the Republic of Azerbaijan was elected for the first time as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. The voting was tense and consisted of 17 rounds. As a result, having gained 155 votes, our country, ahead of its competitors Hungary and Slovenia, won the right of non-permanent membership in the Security Council for the next two years. Unlike other candidates, Azerbaijan has put forward its candidacy for non-permanent members of the UN Security Council for the first time. Azerbaijan's membership in this prestigious organization began on January 1, 2012. 
   
On January 4, 2012, Azerbaijan participated for the first time in the meeting of the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member, and from May 1, it took over the chairmanship of the UN Security Council. Azerbaijan took over the chairmanship from the United States, and a month later, on June 1, it handed over the chairmanship to China. During Azerbaijan's presidency, the UN Security Council held 13 open and 16 closed meetings. During this period, 3 UN Security Council resolutions were adopted, 2 on the situation in Sudan and 1 on the military coup in Guinea-Bissau, as well as 7 press statements.

Azerbaijan has chaired the Security Council twice, in May 2012 and October 2013, and has hosted high-level discussions and events on several important topics. At the first meeting, under the chairmanship of President Ilham Aliyev, a high-level meeting of the Security Council was held on the topic "Threats to the international peace and security caused by terrorist acts: strengthening international cooperation in fulfilling obligations to combat terrorism" with the participation of former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The Statement of the President of the Security Council was adopted as the final document. This statement declared the importance of fighting terrorism and condemned all forms of manifestation of terrorism.

The activities in the Security Council and the accumulated experience served to strengthen the international positions of Azerbaijan and ensure its national interests. Thus, during its membership in the Security Council, our state made active efforts to promote its national interests at the global level. Various aspects of Armenia's aggression against Azerbaijan were consistently brought to the attention of the relevant meetings of the Security Council. In addition, the topic of observance of the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and inviolability of internationally recognized borders, as well as the importance of holding to account those who committed war crimes and crimes against humanity during conflicts, was constantly raised. The relevant provisions are reflected in the documents adopted by the Council.

In general, during its membership in the UN Security Council, Azerbaijan actively participated in the adoption of important decisions regarding international peace and security, also contributed to the strengthening of international consensus in this area.

Recommended literature:

1. Qasımlı, Musa Cəfər oğlu. Azərbaycan Respublikasının xarici siyasəti : 1991-2003 / M. C. Qasımlı ; red. heyəti: A. Əzimov [et al.] ; baş red. E. M. Məmmədyarov ; Azərbaycan Respublikası Xarici İşlər Nazirliyi. - (Azərbaycan Respublikasının diplomatiya tarixi). I hissə. - Bakı : Mütərcim, 2015. - 648 s.
2. Dadaşova, Ramilə Bəhlul qızı. Azərbaycan Respublikasının BMT Təhlükəsizlik Şurasının daimi üzvləri ilə əməkdaşlığı : monoqrafiya / R. B. Dadaşova ; elmi red. M. C. Qasımlı ; AMEA Qafqazşünaslıq İnstitutu. - Bakı : ADMİU, 2021. - 344 s.
3. Qasımlı, Musa Cəfər oğlu. Azərbaycan Respublikasının tarixi : 1991-2021: 2 cilddə / M. C. Qasımlı ; elmi red. İ. X. Zeynalov ; Bakı Dövlət Universiteti. - ISBN 978-9952-546-20-0. II cild : 2003-2021. - Bakı : BDU nəşriyyatı, 2021. - 520 s.
4. Аббасбейли, Агалар Нариман оглы. Азербайджан в системе международных и региональных организаций / А. Н. Аббасбейли, А. М. Гасанов. - Баку : Азернешр, 1999. - 256 с.
5. United Nations - Azerbaijan: 25 years of partnership = Birləşmiş Millətlər Təşkilatı - Azərbaycan : tərəfdaşlığın 25 ili / United Nations Office in Azerbaijan. - Baku : w. p., 2017. - 167 p.