In a move that has never been seen in the history of the United Nations Saudi Arabia chose to turn down a seat on the United Nations Security Council, the most coveted committee within the international organization, only one day after they had been elected to fill one of the 10 rotating seats, according to the New York Times.
A statement from the country accused the committee of having "double standard," most likely a reference to displeasure with how the U.N. has handled the situation in Syria. The Saudi government strongly supports the rebels in the Syrian civil war, according to the BBC.
The Security Council is made up of five permanent members - the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, China and France - and ten rotating members. Saudi Arabia's refusal to accept the seat was seen as "totally unexpected" by one Security Council diplomat, especially since a nation usually has to work for years to earn a seat, according to the BBC.
"The manner, the mechanisms of actions and double standard existing in the Security Council prevent it from performing its duties and assuming its responsibilities toward preserving international peace and security as required," a statement from Saudi Arabia read. "Therefore Saudi Arabia... has no other option but to turn down Security Council membership until it is reformed and given the means to accomplish its duties and assume its responsibilities in preserving the world's peace and security."
A Saudi political insider who wished to remain anonymous since the decision to turn down the seat is thought to have been made by the king and it is rare to question the king publicly told the New York Times that the refusal is likely to be criticized.
"This is very bad for the image of the country," the insider said. "It's as if someone woke up in the night and made this decision. It would be one thing if the kingdom had a plan for how to act outside of the Security Council, but I don't think there is a plan."
Bernard Haykel, a professor of Middle East studies at Princeton University, told the New York Times that Saudi Arabia likely realized that they might have to change their foreign policy because of the new role and chose not to.
"The Saudis no doubt quickly realized that being on the United Nations Security Council would mean they could no longer pursue their traditional backseat and low-key policies and therefore decided to give it up," Haykel said. "Regardless of the short-term costs, a seat on the United Nations Security Council may have also meant that Saudi Arabia would be more constrained in backing the Syrian opposition."
Saudia Arabia is predominately Sunni and has butted heads with the predominately Shia Iran and may have turned down the seat to show their displeasure with the United States, a long-time ally of the kingdom, for engaging in talks with Iran regarding the nation's nuclear program, according to the Times of India.
