“We believe the 75th anniversary of the United Nations is an important date to actually revisit [the issue], to launch a new initiative, to launch a new process, to put more life into this,” Heusgen said. “The present composition of the Security Council doesn’t reflect the world of today. There is no African country that has a permanent seat, there is no Latin American country in the Security Council,” Heusgen said.
The ambassador noted that Germany is the second largest donor to the entire United Nations system, Germany also has a legitimate interest in obtaining a permanent seat on the 15-nation Security Council responsible for maintaining international security, including oversight of peacekeeping missions.
Proposals by to expand the Security Council by Germany, Japan, India, Brazil and others date back decades, producing agreements on the need for reform that otherwise lack specifics.
“Those countries who are very happy with the status quo are blocking the process,” Heusgen said.
The ambassador’s remarks came at the close of a month in which he served as the Security Council’s president for the month of July.
The Security Council consists of 15 members, including five nations with a veto power - the United States, Britain, China, France and Russia - plus ten nations without veto power that are chosen for two-year terms. Current member Germany’s term expires in January 2021.
The United Nations plans to mark its 75th anniversary during the annual General Assembly session slated for 15-30 September, much of which is expected to be virtual due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
