Brunei's Un Membership: What's The Deal?

Brunei, officially known as Brunei Darussalam, is a member of the United Nations. It became the 159th member of the UN on 21 September 1984, marking the 30th anniversary of its membership in 2014. The country is also a part of other international organisations, including the World Trade Organization, the East Asia Summit, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Commonwealth of Nations, and ASEAN.

Brunei became a member of the UN in 1984

Brunei, officially known as Brunei Darussalam, is a small country in Southeast Asia with a population of around 455,000 as of 2023. It is located on the northern coast of the island of Borneo and gained its independence from British rule on 1 January 1984.

Following independence, Brunei became a member of the United Nations on 21 September 1984, becoming the organisation's 159th member state. This was part of a wider effort to gain recognition of its sovereignty and independence.

Brunei's foreign policy is based on the principles of mutual respect, maintaining friendly relations with other nations, non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, and promoting peace, security, and stability in the region. The country maintains diplomatic relations with 170 out of 193 countries.

In addition to the United Nations, Brunei is also a member of several other international organisations, including the Commonwealth of Nations, the World Trade Organization, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). It gives priority to its ASEAN membership in its foreign relations.

Brunei's membership in the United Nations has allowed it to contribute to international efforts such as peacekeeping and disaster relief. For example, the country has participated in United Nations peacekeeping missions, including the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and international peace monitoring missions in the southern Philippines.

It is also a member of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation

Brunei is a member of the United Nations, having joined in September 1984. It is also a member of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which was founded in 1969 and consists of 57 member states, 48 of which are Muslim-majority countries. The OIC claims to be "the collective voice of the Muslim world" and works to "safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony".

The OIC has permanent delegations to the United Nations and the European Union. It operates affiliated, specialised, and subsidiary organs within the framework of the OIC Charter. The OIC's official languages are Arabic, English, and French.

The OIC aims to preserve Islamic social and economic values, promote solidarity amongst member states, increase cooperation in social, economic, cultural, scientific, and political areas, uphold international peace and security, and advance education, particularly in science and technology. The OIC emblem contains three main elements that reflect its vision and mission: the Kaaba, the Globe, and the Crescent.

The OIC sponsors four universities: the Islamic University of Technology, a subsidiary organ; and three affiliated institutions; the Islamic University in Uganda, the Islamic University of Niger, and the International Islamic University Malaysia.

Brunei's membership in the OIC is in line with its extensive relations with the Muslim world and the Arab world outside its own region.

The country is a founding member of the World Trade Organization

Brunei is a founding member of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The country joined the WTO on 1 January 1995 and has been a member of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) since 9 December 1993. As a founding member of the WTO, Brunei has been actively involved in shaping the organization's policies and rules, which govern international trade.

Brunei's membership in the WTO has been instrumental in the country's economic development and integration into the global trading system. It has provided a framework for Brunei to negotiate trade agreements, resolve trade disputes, and access new markets. The WTO has also helped to ensure a level playing field for Brunei's businesses and industries, promoting fair competition and transparency in international trade.

As a small, open economy, Brunei recognizes the importance of the multilateral trading system in promoting economic growth and development. The country has utilized the WTO's platform to address trade-related issues and to collaborate with other member countries. Brunei has also benefited from the WTO's technical assistance and training programs, which have helped to build capacity and improve understanding of trade policies and agreements.

In addition to its founding membership in the WTO, Brunei is also a member of other international organizations such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, and the Commonwealth of Nations. These memberships reflect Brunei's commitment to regional and global cooperation, as well as its recognition of the importance of multilateralism in addressing economic, social, and political challenges.

Brunei's active participation in the WTO and other international organizations demonstrates its commitment to engaging with the global community and contributing to the development of international trade and economic relations. The country continues to play a constructive role in shaping the future of the multilateral trading system and promoting fair and open trade for all.

Brunei is part of the Association of South-East Asian Nations

Brunei is a member of the United Nations and part of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN). ASEAN is a regional organisation that brings together ten disparate Southeast Asian nations to address economic and security issues. It was formed in 1967, uniting Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand, who sought to create a common front against the spread of communism.

ASEAN has since doubled its membership, with Brunei joining in 1984, and is now made up of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The group has played a central role in Asian economic integration, signing six free trade deals with other economies in the region.

ASEAN has a population of 662 million people and a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of $3.2 trillion. It has made some progress toward economic integration and free trade, with intra-ASEAN tariffs effectively at zero. The bloc has prioritised eleven sectors for integration, including electronics, automotives, rubber-based products, textiles and apparels, agro-based products, and tourism.

ASEAN is headed by a chair, a position that rotates annually among leaders of member states, and is assisted by a secretariat based in Jakarta, Indonesia. Important decisions are usually reached through consultation and consensus, guided by the principles of non-interference in internal affairs and the peaceful resolution of conflicts.

Brunei, officially Brunei Darussalam, is a small but wealthy country situated on the northern coast of the island of Borneo. It is the only sovereign state entirely on Borneo, with the remainder of the island shared between Malaysia and Indonesia. It has a population of around 455,858 as of 2023, with approximately 180,000 people residing in the capital and largest city, Bandar Seri Begawan. Brunei's wealth derives from its extensive petroleum and natural gas fields, ranking ninth in the world by gross domestic product per capita at purchasing power parity.

Brunei maintains diplomatic relations with 170 out of 193 countries and gives its ASEAN membership the highest priority in its foreign relations. It became a member of the United Nations in September 1984, marking thirty years of membership in 2014. As an Islamic country, Brunei also became a full member of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (now the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) in January 1984.

The country is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations

Brunei is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, an international association of 56 member states, the vast majority of which are former territories of the British Empire. The Commonwealth dates back to the first half of the 20th century and the decolonisation of the British Empire, which led to increased self-governance of its territories.

The Commonwealth was originally created as the British Commonwealth of Nations through the Balfour Declaration at the 1926 Imperial Conference and was formalised by the United Kingdom through the Statute of Westminster in 1931. The current Commonwealth of Nations was formally constituted by the London Declaration in 1949, which modernised the community and established the member states as "free and equal".

The Head of the Commonwealth is King Charles III, who is the king of 15 member states, known as the Commonwealth realms. Meanwhile, 36 other members are republics, and five others have different monarchs. Although member states have no legal obligations to one another, some have institutional links to other Commonwealth nations. Citizenship of a Commonwealth country affords benefits in some member countries, particularly in the United Kingdom.

The Commonwealth of Nations is represented in the United Nations General Assembly by the Commonwealth Secretariat as an observer. The Commonwealth has a population of 2.5 billion and includes both advanced economies and developing countries. It campaigns for special attention to the unique development challenges that small states face.

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