New Zealand can be rightly proud of its success after a decade-long campaign to win a temporary seat on the United Nations Security Council - effectively the ''powerhouse'' of the organisation.
The country is one of the 193 member states of the UN, whose purposes are peacekeeping, diplomacy, development and human rights.
The UN has a raft of agencies, programmes and bodies, and has six main arms.
As a member, New Zealand already sits on the UN General Assembly, described as the universal ''parliament of nations'', or the main deliberative, policymaking and representative entity.
The Security Council is responsible for the maintenance of international peace and security, and is able to sever diplomatic relations and enforce sanctions, blockades or collective military action.
While other elements of the United Nations make recommendations to member states, only the Security Council has the power to make decisions that member states are obligated to implement under its charter.
It has 15 members, five veto-wielding permanent members (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States), and 10 non-permanent members, five of whom are elected by the General Assembly each year to serve two-year terms.
These are allocated on a regional basis.
New Zealand last held a seat on the Security Council 20 years ago.
Our bid to hold another seat began in 2004 under then Labour prime minister Helen Clark, now head of the United Nations Development Programme.
New Zealand convincingly claimed one of the two elected ''Western Europe and other nations seats'' for 2015-16 in the first round of voting by the General Assembly early yesterday, receiving 145 votes, comfortably more than the 129 needed.
After three rounds of voting, Turkey lost to Spain for the second seat in the regional group.
The three other elected non-permanent seats went to Angola, Malaysia and Venezuela. New Zealand's permanent representative on the UN, Jim McLay, will take the seat.
While there is much rejoicing in the ''victory'' after the lengthy and extensive effort behind the scenes, the real test is to come.
Foreign Minister Murray McCully is well aware with the ''resounding vote of confidence'' from UN members comes enormous responsibility and ''we have got to make sure we live up to it''.
Prime Minister John Key has said there are huge benefits to be had from sitting in the powerhouse, notably regarding trade, but the bid was pursued because ''we believe that New Zealand can make a positive difference to world affairs and provide a unique and independent voice at the world's top table''.
While we have found it possible to claim geographical isolation as a reason for indecision or inaction, a seat at the world's highest table means we will be expected to have a voice and an opinion, to make difficult decisions, and to make a difference.
There can be no sitting on the fence.
It does appear we are ready.
Mr Key spoke aggressively in support of the country's bid during a speech to the General Assembly earlier this year, slamming the permanent members of the Security Council for becoming hostage to the interests of the most powerful in terms of the Syria crisis, and insisting those responsible for ''war crimes'' there be brought to account.
New Zealand has made it clear it seeks to reform the right of veto, although that is a huge task and others have tried and failed such reform before.
We have campaigned on being a voice for smaller countries - an ''independent'' voice at that.
The unexpected size of the vote New Zealand received shows our stance is respected and valued, and this new position of power offers opportunities to make a difference in the world.
It won't be easy.
There are huge and ongoing challenges.
There will be relationships with members in the Security Council and traditional allies to negotiate and renegotiate, and there are myriad issues in the world's hotspots, with global peace and stability, nuclear threat, human rights, climate change and food security issues to the fore.
While our judgement is clearly valued, so too will we be judged.
The eyes of the world are on us.
The real work is only beginning.
