The Middle East power had previously decried the 15-member council's ineffectiveness in dealing with world affairs, notably the Syrian crisis and Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In a letter Tuesday from Saudi Arabian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Headquarters in New York, Ambassador Abdallah al-Mouallimi officially served notice on the world organization.
The move came after the Saudi Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Oct. 18 declining the position, one day after the 193- member UN General Assembly elected the country for a two-year council term starting from Jan. 1.
"The Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has decided to advise you that Saudi Arabia will regrettably not be in a position to assume its seat in the Security Council to which it was elected on Oct. 17, 2013 for the period of 2014-2015," the letter read.
Observers believed the decision to not only boycott the council but to reject the election was directed at the United States, its longtime ally, for the latter's inability to negotiate a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and for Washington not intervening in the Syrian civil war which has claimed well over 100,000 lives in more than 30-month fighting.
Jordan, which shares a border with Israel, has a vital interest in ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It also shares a border with Syria and has become a major destination for refugees fleeing the civil war.
The United States is one of the five permanent, veto-wielding, members of the council along with Britain, China, France and Russia. The panel of 15 has five members elected to 2-year terms every year.
相关新闻：联合国秘书长潘基文的发言人内西尔基１２日向新华社记者证实，潘基文当天已收到沙特阿拉伯方面拒绝担任安理会非常任理事国的有关信件。
内西尔基同时说，此事现在将由沙特、联合国安理会和全体会员国共同考虑。
据新华社记者获得的信件文本，沙特常驻联合国代表阿卜杜拉·穆阿利米１２日在致潘基文的信中说：“沙特政府决定告知您，很遗憾，在２０１３年１０月１７日当选后，沙特将无法担任２０１４年和２０１５年的安理会非常任理事国。”
这封信后附有沙特外交部１０月１８日发表的相关声明。沙特还在信中重申其对联合国及其各个机构的承诺，以及对潘基文在处理国际事务中展现的领导能力的赞赏。
第６８届联合国大会１０月１７日选举沙特、乍得、立陶宛、尼日利亚和智利５国为２０１４年和２０１５年安理会非常任理事国。这是沙特历史上首次当选安理会非常任理事国。
沙特外交部１０月１８日发表声明称，因联合国安理会在处理国际冲突中不作为，沙特拒绝接受刚刚当选的安理会非常任理事国席位。声明说，安理会在处理诸如巴以问题、叙利亚流血冲突和中东大规模杀伤性武器等问题上持双重标准，未能真正行使其维护世界和平的责任。
安理会共有１５个成员，其中中国、法国、俄罗斯、英国和美国为常任理事国，其余１０个成员为非常任理事国。非常任理事国由联合国大会选举产生，任期两年，经选举每年更换５个，不能连选连任。
