Germany lobbies for a UN Security Council seat
Today, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas will visit the United Nations in support of a German bid for permanent membership in the Security Council (UNSC).
The idea of adding Germany as a sixth permanent member is not new and has been proposed repeatedly, as early as the year 2000. Proponents argue the size and importance of Germany’s industrial economy, along with its central role in European Union politics, merit its accession. Opponents have argued another permanent member would only make decision-making more difficult for the Council. Additionally, ambitions from other countries such as Brazil, India and Japan toward permanent membership also make the political reality of gaining enough support to amend the Charter a challenge.
Do not expect Mr Maas’s appeal to do anything to significantly advance Germany’s chances of moving toward accession, as while Germany’s political and economic significance might make it a worthy candidate for accession, significant political issues outweigh the appeal.
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