Executive Summary
The policy of the Republic of Estonia during its membership in the UN Security Council was strong. The campaign included many world security and defense aspects but focused on three categories: international law, human rights, and cybersecurity. This report looked at the critical points of Estonia’s membership, its strategic plans, and proposals on the issue of territorial regulation. In addition, the human rights section looked at Estonia’s virtual meetings and statements on citizen security in times of armed conflict. Finally, Estonia’s advantages as a pioneer in cyber security were shown. The evaluation found that Estonia’s policy in international law is sound, although it raises questions about the actual interest in the situation in Ukraine. Estonia’s human rights strategy was described as bold and directed. Estonia has shown itself to be a strong leader with a reasonable basis for its decisions in cybersecurity issues.
Introduction
The UN Security Council is responsible for maintaining international peace and security and for over 70 years has developed strategies to resolve conflicts and regulate legal relations between countries. The Council has five veto-wielding member states and is permanent. Every year ten non-permanent members from every continent of the world are elected. Estonia became a non-permanent member in 2020 and focused on crisis diplomacy. Estonia’s primary strategy has been to ensure that the UN Security Council is informed by international law focusing on human rights and values. Through global cooperation, Estonia has contributed to solving climate issues, improving the work of the Council, and combating cybercrime (Estonia in UN Security Council). During its membership in the Council, Estonia has demonstrated diplomatic skills and has been able to make some critical statements.
International law
It is essential for small countries that international law applies equally to all. In this regard, Estonia saw international law as a fundamental security component (Raik, 2020). During the two years, the government used its own and global resources as effectively as possible to ensure awareness of the law’s peculiarities. The campaign was closely connected to human rights, as crimes against persons and humanity were regularly on the agenda of Estonian meetings.
Estonia identified genocide as one of the most criminal activities and emphasized the situations in Ukraine and Georgia. During official speeches, Estonia has repeatedly pointed to the need to include the division of regions in the international law agenda (Estonia in UN Security Council). The country’s representative explained that because of the proximity of the European Union (EU) to Ukraine and Russia, the latter has a potential threat of increased aggression. Therefore, international law on border sharing and annexation should be reviewed to resolve the situation and uphold the rights of Ukraine and Crimea. Despite the severity of the statement and statements about strengthening defense by redistributing Estonia’s GDP, the chairman called for a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
Estonia called for a solution to the conflict in Georgia, also emphasizing territorial integrity. On the whole, Estonia’s actions for the regulation of international rights can be accepted positively, as they are based on legislation. In addition, during its membership, the state has sought to resolve conflicts peacefully, which is a consequence of the experience of a small country. This has probably played an additional role in its policy because concern about compliance with the law is significant for countries with a small gross domestic product (Morin and Paquin, 2018, p. 180). However, it is impossible to call Estonia’s policy regarding the division of territory entirely correct. The proposal to withdraw troops and negotiate was positively received, but no physical action was taken. Therefore, Estonia’s genuine interest in solving these conflicts remains debatable.
Human Rights
Among Estonia’s actions concerning human rights, numerous meetings have discussed major social conflicts and raising protection issues. The country drew attention to the safety of children and women, stating problems of sexual violence, social inequality, and the use of these groups for military purposes. During its membership, Estonia used reliable statistics on the EU and the U.S., reported on the action of the UN Security Council, and pointed to the need for a review of activities (United Nations, 2021). In addition, Estonia has paid particular attention to civilian security during hostilities.
In the meetings initiated by Estonia, several strategic views have been put forward that are important for the Security Council to meet its purpose. In May 2020, Estonia made an official statement on the need to respect international humanitarian law to protect civilians from armed conflict. President Kirsti Kaljulaid pointed to the need to review the law and address the lack of protection of the general population. In addition, in early September 2020, Estonia held a video meeting on human rights in Belarus. Estonia was convinced that freedom of speech should be granted to all who are forced to remain silent (United Nations, 2021). Other important events included a meeting in June 2021 at which Estonia made a statement about the need to protect children in military conflicts.
Estonia’s human rights policy was correct, as it mainly deals with the rights to life and freedom of speech. Considering the diplomacy crisis in 2020-2021 (conflicts in Georgia, election of the president in Belarus), the actions of Estonia were relevant. In addition, the country relied heavily on international law and repeatedly pointed to the need to increase the Security Council’s influence on armed conflicts. Estonia also told to the inappropriateness of the veto power of the permanent members (Jürgenson, 2021). That is a bold step because a small non-permanent member needs to consider its plans. Thus, Estonia’s human rights policy was strong and courageous because it actively promoted its international priorities.
Cybersecurity
Estonia joined the Council at a difficult time, having caught a crisis in diplomacy due to the abrupt transition to a new format – remote discussion because of Covid-19. However, this did not stop Estonia from conducting its policy; on the contrary, it was improved. Estonia has demonstrated digital skills due to the transition to a virtual format (Raik, 2020). Based on this, the statement about the need for cyber security became a winning one and was regularly on the agenda of meetings. At the end of May 2020, Estonia held a meeting on cyber-attacks and stability in the digital space, updating the impact of the network on world politics. In June 2021, Estonia renewed its demands to raise awareness of cyberspace (United Nations, 2021). The cybersecurity campaign has been one of the greatest strengths during Estonia’s membership. Although all countries did not receive the cyberspace plan well, its relevance was not lost on Estonia’s confident leadership.
Conclusion
During its membership in the UN Security Council, Estonia has demonstrated high diplomatic skills and strong leadership. In international law, Estonia has shown itself as a state with a strong position on the territorial issue, but the reasons for interest in the Ukraine issue are questionable. In human rights meetings, Estonia has touched upon the right to life and freedom of speech, drawing attention to the safety of women and children during armed conflicts. Finally, the cybersecurity campaign has enabled Estonia to establish itself as an advanced digital state.
Reference List
Estonia in UN Security Council (no date) Web.
Morin, J.-F. and Paquin, J. (2018) Foreign policy analysis. London: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Raik, K. (2020) Estonia in the UN Security Council: The importance and limits of European cooperation. Tallinn: Estonian Foreign Policy Institute.
United Nations (2021) Estonia’s membership in the UN Security Council [Video]. Web.