A high-ranking U.N. official on Monday welcomed the recent election of Japan as one of the five nonpermanent Security Council members, expressing hopes that Tokyo will make contributions to global human security as well as specific issues such as Syria.

Speaking to reporters in Tokyo, David M. Malone, rector of United Nations University and an undersecretary-general of the world body, urged Japan not to squander its two-year term on the council, which starts in January.

"Every elected member to the Security Council should have a program of action," Malone said. "They should have a clear idea of what they want to achieve. Most do not. They spend so much time getting elected, they forget about what they will do when they are elected."