The election follows two years of official campaigning and represents the fourth time that Ireland has been on the Security Council.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said: “We look forward to working with our partners in the international community from all around the world to promote our shared values of peace, justice, and human rights.

“We will do our utmost to make our two years on the Council as constructive and as effective as we can, acting as a voice for all who champion the peaceful resolution of conflict and addressing the drivers of conflict, drawing on the experiences we have gained from peacebuilding in our own part of the world.”