German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul called this Friday (02/01/2026) for “deep reforms” of the main body of the United Nations, the UN Security Council (UNSC), citing frequent blockages in the chamber and that the global south should be more represented.
“The Security Council must reflect the world of the 21st century and not the world after the war after 1945,” Wadephul told the German press agency dpa, reiterating Berlin’s earlier calls for change. “That is why we will work intensively to ensure that the global south in particular plays a much larger role in this.” Germany will run for a non-permanent seat on the Security Council for the period 2027-2028 in the June 2026 elections.
A committee with five permanent members
The Council consists of 15 of the UN’s 193 member states: the five nuclear powers that won World War II as permanent members with veto power over any resolution, and another ten rotating countries. That is, the United States, China, Russia, the United Kingdom and France have permanent seats on the Security Council. The remaining ten posts move between other Member States every two years.
For example, Colombia has just taken a position, but the Indo-Pacific, Africa and Latin America should have more weight. Asked what he would do to help Germany beat Austria and Portugal in the vote for one of the non-permanent places, Wadephul said: “Football-wise I would say we have to be playable in all positions for our international partners.” And he gave the example of working with small island states to respond to climate change.
Streamline processes, a long-standing demand
Wadephul said the UN Security Council had also demonstrated its functionality through its resolution supporting the Middle East peace plan. However, the Federal Government is of the opinion that the organization requires a profound reform with scope for simplification and rationalization in certain aspects. Angela Merkel called for Security Council reform at the United Nations in 2020.
At the end of November, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on the sidelines of an EU-Africa summit in Angola that he supported the demand for two permanent African seats on the Security Council. Merz explained that Europe and Africa together represent more than 40% of the vote in the United Nations. “Together we carry a lot of weight,” explained Merz. “But for this to happen, Africa must also be better represented internationally.”
lgc (dpa, dlf)
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