Pretoria - Hopes are high as South Africa looks set to regain a temporary seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) - as voting gets underway in New York.
South Africa has been canvassing for votes for the UNSC seat - with countries in the African Union, India and Serbia, among others - supporting it.
SA - which has been calling for the reform of the UN - has also received support from the United States, Russia and China, following recent visits by President Jacob Zuma to these countries to promote trade and diplomatic relations.
Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe also won support in the United Kingdom, after he recently held talks with British Prime Minister David Cameron while in that country.
South Africa was elected as a non-permanent member for the first time in 2007/2008.
In 2008, the country surprised many and outraged some after it joined Russia and China in allowing the Security Council to consider a relatively mild resolution on human rights issues in Myanmar, whose government is widely seen as one of the most repressive.
In an interview with the SABC, International Relations Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane acknowledged that they should have communicated better, during that experience.
"We think we come back emboldened by the experience of the last term, to start where we left [off], and to consolidate the gains made with all other countries inside and outside the council," said Nkoana-Mashabane.
This term, SA says it will push for the African agenda and commit to maintaining international peace and security.
"If elected to the UNSC, South Africa will be guided by its commitment to multilateralism, advancement of the African agenda and the peaceful resolution of conflicts," Nkoana-Mashabane's office said on Monday.
The UNSC is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security.
The results of the candidates for the Security Council seats are set to be announced at the UN headquarters later on Tuesday.
Countries vying for the other four seats are India for the Asian seat, Colombia for the Latin America seat, and Canada, Germany and Portugal for the remaining two seats in the category of Western Europe and other groups.
