The United Nations General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock has called for reform of the UN Security Council to address what she sees as historical injustices and better reflect today’s global realities. She said not having any state from Africa be part of the permanent membership is a historical injustice, and the Council is not representative of the world in which we currently live.
Baerbock, who has previously advocated for expanding the number of permanent members, particularly supporting India and Germany’s inclusion, emphasised the need for reform to align the Council with 21st-century needs. Baerbock’s comments come as part of her ongoing effort to ensure the Security Council better represents the global community, with a particular focus on addressing the underrepresentation of regions like Africa. As a former German foreign minister, Baerbock has long supported the G4 group, which consists India, Germany, Brazil, and Japan, which pushes for Security Council reform. She recently underscored the lack of progress in the ongoing Inter-Governmental Negotiations process and appointed new co-chairs to reinvigorate discussions.
