Mr. President, thank you very much for convening this important debate. I have the honor to speak on behalf of the “Group of Four” – Brazil, India, Japan and my own country, Germany.

I would like to express our gratitude for the remarkable dedication demonstrated by the reappointed Co-Chairs in their efforts to find a compromise for the IGN Input to the Summit of the Future. Their hard work has resulted in a substantial text, contributing to the consensual Pact for the Future, which can greatly facilitate this year’s IGN discussions.

Significant work remains to be done in order to achieve genuine progress toward a reformed Security Council. We believe that the majority of Member States is eager to take bold steps forward: More than 140 participants in this year’s General Debate called for UN reform, surpassing last year's number once again. This number is above the threshold of two thirds of the General Assembly and shows there is clear and increasing momentum for the reform of the Council.

The Pact for the Future provides essential parameters to guide the next cycle of Council reform deliberations, which we must apply promptly. We need to engage in actual negotiations on critical issues, such as categories of membership, regional representation, and the question of the veto.

We also strongly urge all Member States to participate constructively in the forthcoming model discussions, with the goal of allowing for the preparation of a consolidated model, as called for by all world leaders in the Pact for the Future

We are in favor of discussing this consolidated model, reflecting the positions expressed by the majority of Member States, as soon as possible. Caution must be taken so that the model discussion does not become an exercise in perpetuity.

This approach is vital for making meaningful progress in the IGN. Our short-term priority remains the initiation of text-based negotiations at the earliest opportunity for achieving comprehensive reform of the Security Council. In this regard, we welcome the recent increase of support for text-based negotiations.

In our view, the widespread demand from Member States for an expansion in both membership categories and for better representation of unrepresented and underrepresented regions, such as Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America and the Caribbean, must be reflected in the outcomes of this year’s IGN.

There are areas where agreement is within reach. This is encouraging, and we should seize the opportunity to move forward by negotiating concrete results, with the sense of urgency agreed upon by our leaders in the Pact for the Future and bearing in mind the upcoming 80th anniversary of the United Nations in 2025.

We are at a critical juncture. The world is grappling with conflicts and its consequences. The 20th century architecture of the UN Security Council often falls short of addressing 21st century problems. Next year, we celebrate the 80th anniversary of the UN. It is an opportunity to laud the achievements of multilateralism, but is also a moment for us to reflect on the present and future of multilateralism. To make the UN future proof, we should ensure that the UN Security Council reflects the contemporary realities, so that it is able to deliver on its primary mandate of maintenance of international peace and security.