Lithuania at the United Nations Security Council : strategy or accident?

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Bendradarbiavimas; JTO; Jungtinių Tautų Organizacija (JTO; United Nations; Jungtinės Tautos); Saugumo taryba; Strategija; Tarptautinė organizacija; Užsienio politika; Cooperation; Foreign policy; International organization; Lithuania; Security Council; Strategy; UN; United Nations.

ENThe aim of the article is to investigate more thoroughly in what ways Lithuania’s becoming a member of the UN SC can be considered a tangible achievement. The main thesis is that UN SC membership itself has an important symbolic meaning and the successful bid for the UN SC seat is a demonstration of a consistent LFP strategy. However a notable lack of strategic ideas on how to capitalise on this success transforms the political achievement of a non-permanent UN SC seat into lofty declarations emphasizing mainly bureaucratic gains. First, the article analyses the theoretical significance of UN SC membership from the small state perspective. Second, it analyses Lithuania’s bid to the UN SC by looking into the arguments to justify the decision and strategies used. Finally, in order to understand the vision of Lithuania’s being in the SC, the article evaluates and puts into the theoretical context the first four months of its membership. [From the publication]