Aust punched above its weight at UN

Australia punched above its weight during a two-year stint on the United Nations Security Council.

That's the verdict of Britain's ambassador to the UN, Mark Lyall Grant, who believes Australia had the most impact of any temporary member he'd seen in the five years he's been involved.

"I think Australia has been bold. I wouldn't say risky. But I think they've certainly been brave for standing up for what they believe and being prepared to say it straight," he told ABC radio.

Australia's term on the Security Council has officially wrapped up.

The Australian ambassador to the UN, Gary Quinlan reflected on a tumultuous couple of years as he delivered a closing address.

He quoted a former secretary-general, Dag Hammarskjold, who famously said that the UN was not created to take humanity to heaven but to save it from hell.

"In the past two years of Australia's term on the council, heaven was never within reach, but there were many days when it seemed we were already deep in hell," Mr Quinlan told the council.

He said the council would be judged by its failures and he reflected on its challenges ahead.

"Our failure to break the geopolitical stalemate on Syria will be a permanent stain," he said.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says Australia had served with distinction in the wake of many crises.

Australia led the security council's response to the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in Ukraine, debate over sanctions reform and dealing with the rise of new terrorism threats.

Although the coalition was critical of the merits of the previous Labor government pursuing the security council seat, Ms Bishop in November said Australia would seek another term in the future.

In its final decision on the council on Tuesday night, Australia voted with the US against a draft resolution that would have paved the way for Palestinian statehood.