G4 countries call for immediate UNSC reform, cite council’s inability to uphold global peace, security

Foreign Ministers of the G4 countries -- India, Brazil, Germany and Japan -- have called for an early reform of the United Nations Security Council, saying the Council is currently unable to effectively discharge its core responsibility of maintaining international peace and security.

Foreign Ministers of the G4 countries -- India, Brazil, Germany and Japan -- have called for an early reform of the United Nations Security Council, saying the Council is currently unable to effectively discharge its core responsibility of maintaining international peace and security. The G4 Ministers -- External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Brazil's Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, Germany's Federal Foreign Minister Johann David Wadephul and Japan's Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu -- met in New York on Tuesday on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.

In a joint ministerial statement, the four countries said the increasingly challenging geopolitical environment had made Security Council reform “more necessary than ever before”. “The G4 Ministers noted that the UNSC is currently unable to effectively discharge its core responsibility of maintaining international peace and security. The representativeness, legitimacy, credibility and efficacy of the UNSC are in question,” the statement said.

The G4 attributed what they described as the Council's shortcomings to its “anachronistic eight-decades-old architecture”, which they said does not reflect contemporary geopolitical realities and is an impediment to addressing present and future challenges concerning international peace and security. Against this backdrop, the four countries called for UNSC reform to be implemented at the earliest, stressing that the Council needs to be “fit-for-purpose” and reflective of present-day global realities.

The G4 said expansion of the Security Council in both the permanent and non-permanent categories should be central to the reform process. They also stressed the need for greater representation of under-represented and unrepresented regions and groups, including Africa, the Asia-Pacific and Latin America and the Caribbean. The four countries further highlighted the importance of increasing the participation of member states that contribute significantly to maintaining international peace and security and advancing other purposes of the United Nations.

The G4 also welcomed the presentation of the African Group's reform model during the Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) in the 80th session of the UN General Assembly and reiterated their support for Africa's case for enhanced representation, including in the permanent category of membership. The ministers expressed concern over the limited progress made through the IGN framework, noting that it had been active for 18 years without producing concrete outcomes towards substantive Security Council reform.

They also expressed reservations over the presentation of what they described as a “bridging proposal” before the commencement of text-based negotiations, saying it did not reflect the views of a clear majority of UN member states in favour of expansion in both membership categories. The G4 recalled that consensus is not the benchmark for decision-making on Security Council reform under the UN Charter and the IGN mandate.

Looking ahead, the four countries said they would work with other reform-oriented groups to identify areas of convergence and develop a consolidated model reflecting the views of the majority of member states. They said commencing text-based negotiations would be a high priority, describing this as key to achieving what they termed “real and impactful UNSC reform”.

The G4 said such reform was necessary to restore the representativeness, legitimacy, credibility and efficacy of the Security Council and strengthen the wider multilateral system. Jaishankar also highlighted the G4's shared objective following the meeting.

“Joined my G4 counterparts from Brazil, Germany and Japan in New York #UNGA81. Discussed the imperative of reformed multilateralism and a more representative, responsive and effective UN Security Council that reflects today’s global realities. Will continue to work together to advance this shared objective,” the EAM said in a post on X. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul also emphasised the need for the Security Council to reflect changes in the international system, while calling for stronger representation for Africa.

“Since the founding of the UN the world has changed profoundly - this needs to be reflected in its highest decision making body. Together with India, Brazil, Japan we strive for a more inclusive UN Security Council. Also, voices from Africa need to be represented more appropriately,” Wadephul said in a post on X. The G4 ministers said they would continue coordinating closely during the 81st session of the UN General Assembly and tasked officials from their respective countries with following up on the discussions. They also agreed to take stock of progress at the next Director General-level meeting in New Delhi.

Jaishankar separately met Wadephul on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly and discussed ongoing conflicts and their multilateral cooperation. “Sat down with Johann Wadephul of Germany on the sidelines of #UNGA81. We exchanged assessments on the ongoing Ukraine and Gulf crises. As G4 partners, our cooperation at the UN and other multilateral fora remains robust,” Jaishankar said in another post on X. (ANI)