According to a readout issued late yesterday by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, the UN chief and the Minister also exchanged views on projects in the field of sustainable development related to the cooperation between the UN and Kazakhstan, and the initiatives the country is spearheading in the UN.

Kazakhstan, along with Sweden, Bolivia and Ethiopia, were elected to serve on Security Council for a two year term, starting from 1 January 2017. The remaining seat will be shared by Italy and the Netherlands, each with a one-year term.

The Security Council has 15 members, including five permanent. The five permanent members, each with the power of veto, are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Other current non-permanent members are Japan, Egypt, Senegal, Ukraine and Uruguay.

Paris Agreement now has 180 signatories

With Kazakhstan’s signing and as of 3 August, the Paris Agreement now has 180 signatories.

174 countries and the European Union signed the Agreement at a high-level signature ceremony convened by the Secretary General at the UN Headquarters in New York on 22 April 2016, the day the Agreement was opened for signature.

Also, of the 180 signatory countries, 22 have deposited their instruments of ratification, acceptance or approval.

The agreement will enter into force 30 days after at least 55 countries, accounting for 55 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, deposit their instruments of ratification or acceptance with the Secretary-General.