PRIME Minister Julia Gillard has thanked Kevin Rudd for his central role in securing a seat on the UN Security Council. Mr Rudd, by proxy, has thanked everybody else.

The Prime Minister, speaking at a gathering of department staff and officials of foreign missions in Canberra, has ranked her predecessor Kevin Rudd first among all those deserving thanks in what she called a long and difficult process to win the seat.

"I'd like to thank in order, firstly, Kevin Rudd for having the foresight as prime minister to put our name forward and to commence the bid process, and then to pursue it so energetically as Minister for Foreign Affairs," Ms Gillard said.

Earlier, Mr Rudd congratulated everyone involved via a statement released through a spokesman.

Mr Rudd said the victory was a credit to Australia and the professionalism of the diplomatic service.

"Mr Rudd also congratulates the Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister and the Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs for their strong and successful advocacy for Australia," the spokesman said.

The former prime minister and foreign minister kicked off Australia's bid for a non-permanent council seat in 2008, before being replaced by Julia Gillard as prime minister and Labor leader two years later.

Foreign Minister Bob Carr added to the praise of Mr Rudd's vision.

"I want to note the vindication of Kevin Rudd to enter this ballot at this time," he said. "It was much criticised but his judgment has been vindicated."

But the Opposition has sought to dampen the mood of back-slapping among the government and diplomatic officers - highlighting concerns about the cost of the exercise.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott welcomed what he called an "expensive" victory.

Prior to the vote, Mr Abbott had warned that a failure to secure a seat would be viewed as an embarrassing defeat for the government.

"I welcome the win. It was an expensive win and I think it probably owes as much to Kevin Rudd as to (Prime Minister) Julia Gillard, but nevertheless a win's a win," he told the Nine Network this morning.

"Let's hope we put the next two years on the security council to good use."

Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Julie Bishop echoed her leader's line, saying while the win was welcome, the Labor government had failed to articulate what it hoped to achieve.

"There is a limit to what can be achieved as a temporary member on the United Nations Security Council," she told ABC TV this morning.

"Of course, the ultimate test will be in terms of success, what we have achieved for the benefit of the Australian people after two years on the Security Council as a temporary member."

But an ecstatic Foreign Minister Bob Carr dismissed criticism of the campaign's $24 million cost.

"This was a big, juicy, decisive win. And it's very, very sweet...

"It's the world saying 'we see Australia as a good country, a fine global citizen'."

He said the right to sit in the UN executive would not mean extra expense.

"If Tony Abbott says that spending money to promote this country ... is a waste of money, then I'm afraid he hasn't got the breadth of vision to be prime minister of Australia," Mr Carr told ABC TV this morning.

"His notions of retreating to the Anglosphere ... is I think a pretty diminished vision for someone who would want to be prime minister of this serious, global citizen."

"It was a modest amount to pay for us to get the endorsement of 140 countries out of 193," Senator Carr told the Seven Network earlier.

Ms Gillard said she was disappointed by the Opposition's reaction to the seat victory.

"I think it is disappointing that the Opposition today hasn't had the generosity of spirit to say this is a great day for Australia. It is," she said.

"Being on the Security Council is not a piece on the economic table ... it doesn't play that role...

"To hold Australia's reputation up high, and to have us on a body of such importance to the world, I consider that money well spent,'' she said.

"As a proud Australian, I think people do want to see Australia having its own voice, an Australian voice, in the main decision-making bodies of the world.

"That's what we've secured."

The Prime Minister emphasised the leadership role Australia would now play in world affairs.

"It's been 27 years since we served on the Security Council. We are a nation that is a substantial contributor to the UN, and so it was more than time for us to return to the Security Council and to play a role over the next two years in shaping events that are truly important to our nation," she told the DFAT gathering in Canberra.

''We will be dealing with issues of importance to our nation including the UN engagement with the mission in Afghanistan and the future of that mission beyond 2014,'' Ms Gillard told reporters in Canberra today.

''And it is the Security Council which will have to continue to wrestle with the violence in Syria and the way in which that violence can be brought to an end.''

She nominated UN engagement in East Timor, sanctions to deal with nuclear arms proliferation and the continued fight against global terror as issues Australia would help deal with over the next two years.

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young welcomed the news and hoped it would encourage the government to stick by the refugee obligations to which it's a signatory.

"The world will now be watching, and Australia does have obligations to various UN conventions," Senator Hanson-Young told reporters in Canberra on Friday.

"It's very important that we uphold those obligations and we promote the very essence of working together as a global community.

The vote means Australia will serve for two years as one of 10 non-permanent of the Security Council, joining the five permanent member nations in influencing crucial decisions about military interventions across the world.

For historical reasons, Australia was grouped in the Western Europe & Others category, and was pitted against Luxembourg and Finland in a secret ballot for two seats of the five available seats.

Insiders had expected Finland, which began its campaign for a seat in 2001, would win easily, especially as Australia only joined the bid in 2008, when Kevin Rudd was still prime minister.

After five years and $24 million, Foreign Minister Bob Carr went into the Great Hall just before 10am (1am AEDT) saying he was "nervous" about Australia's chances.

Just after midday (3am AEDT), the vote came in.

The announcement that Australia had come in first must have shocked Finland, whose leaders had seemed certain they would get one of the two seats.

Instead, Luxembourg got 128 votes and Finland 108. The two nations then went to a runoff vote, Luxembourg winning with 131 votes to Finland's 60.

Other countries which won seats on the day were Rwanda, Argentina and South Korea.

New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully congratulated Australia, along with Luxembourg, South Korea, Argentina and Rwanda.

''I have congratulated Foreign Minister Carr on a well-fought campaign, which Australia thoroughly deserved to win,'' Mr McCully said today.

''New Zealand looks forward to working closely with Australia during its two-year tenure on the Security Council."

New Zealand is bidding for a seat on the council in the 2015-16 term.

Australia's UN representative Gary Quinlan is expected to spearhead the country's role on the body, attending as an observer from November.

It is understood DFAT has made a submission to Treasury seeking a significant boost to resources in New York.

Australia will begin attending security council meetings from November to observe proceedings, before commencing its active role on January 1.

- with AAP