NEW YORK- Report from the United Nations Headquarters in New York revealed that Nigeria has, on Thursday, formally assumed the membership of the UN Security Council for a two-year term (2014-2015).

The nation’s non permanent seat of the council began on Jan.1, but due to the New Year holiday, the council couldn’t hold.

UN Council has five permanent members comprising China, France, Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the U.S. as well as 10 other non-permanent members which are elected for two years by the 193 members of the UN General Assembly.

Speaking about the election of the country as part of the UN non-permanent Security Council, Prof. Joy Ogwu, who is the country’s Permanent Representative to the UN, assured that Nigeria would promote preventive diplomacy for peace as a fulcrum of its agenda.

“To this effect, we will work assiduously with all members of the security council to represent all other member states and to fulfil the renewed mandate that we have received today,’’ Ogwu said.

In the same vein, the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof. Viola Onwuliri, had assured the international community that Nigeria would continue to work in the area of preventive diplomacy, coupled with the focus on mediation and prevention of conflict situations in Africa.

“We need to have a strong voice to help the UN to deal with issues in Africa. African issues are the majority of issues facing the UN Security Council today,’’ she said.

Prince Zeid Ra’ad Al-Hussein, Permanent Representative of Jordan to the UN, is the President of the Security Council for the month of January.