The UN’s most powerful body must “fit in with the reality of the 21st century,” the German chancellor says
The UN Security Council holds a meeting at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. © AFP / Michael M. Santiago
Germany deserves a permanent seat on the UN Security Council as it adheres to the principles of the United Nations and is “offering and seeking cooperation,” Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in his speech at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.
“I urge you to support our candidacy,” Scholz stated in his address. According to the chancellor, the UN’s prime conflict-resolution body needs Germany in order to be able to meet the challenges of modern times.
“We have to make our rules and institutions fit in with the reality of the 21st century. Far too often, they reflect the world as it was 30, 50 or 70 years ago. That also applies to the Security Council of the United Nations (UNSC),” he said.
Set up in 1945 after the victory over Nazi Germany, the UNSC has five permanent members – the UK, Britain, China, France, Russia and the US. Those nations have the power to veto any resolution of the council.
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The body also includes ten rotating non-permanent members that represent all regions of the world, but lack veto powers. Germany had a temporary spot on the UNSC in 2019 and 2020, with Berlin looking to do so again in 2027 and 2028.
In the same speech, Scholz addressed the situation in Ukraine, insisting that Russian President Vladimir Putin has to recognize that he can’t achieve victory in the conflict, in which Kiev is being backed by the US, UK and European nations, including Germany.
“We will not accept any peace dictated by Russia and this is why Ukraine must be able to fend off Russia’s attack,” he said.
According to the chancellor, the Russian military operation in Ukraine wasn’t just a disaster for Europe but for global, rules-based order, which the UN must protect.
