Distinguished Chair,

Germany fully aligns itself with the statement delivered by Brazil on behalf of the G4. Allow me to add two additional points in my national capacity.

The first is a more general reflection on working methods.

This morning almost every delegation that took the floor, emphasized the importance of transparency, efficiency, and accountability. For us, all three, are not just matters of presentation when it comes to the Security Council's work. Transparency, efficiency, and accountability, we believe, are fundamental to the effectiveness and ultimately to the legitimacy of the Security Council.

In the past year, we had a lengthy and productive discussion on this matter during the negotiations of the Pact for the Future. Almost all delegations that spoke so far, like Sierra Leone, Bahrain, Luxemburg, Iceland, Egypt, stressed the need that we should follow up on at least some of the Pact’s conclusion as a matter of urgency. We agree.

For instance, the Pact for the Future clearly emphasizes the importance of strengthening the relationship of the Security Council with the General Assembly and its subsidiary bodies.

As the current chair of the Peacebuilding Commission, Germany is strongly committed to realizing the full potential of the Commission as well as to fostering a more effective division of labor and greater synergies between the PBC and the Security Council. By working together, we can ensure, that the PBC plays a more prominent role in peacebuilding efforts and that the Security Council is better equipped to maintain international peace and security.

Our second remark is on the use of the veto.

Germany supports all efforts and initiatives to limit the use of the veto, particularly in cases where the veto is used to block council action aimed at the prevention and punishment of genocide, mass atrocities, and war crimes. We call on other member states to join these initiatives.

We would also like to remind delegations that the G4 model promotes the idea of new permanent members who have the power to veto but refrain from using it for an initial period of time. We believe that this is a viable reform idea worthy of consideration.

Co-Chairs,
We are committed to engaging in constructive dialogue with other IGN members on these issues, with the goal of finding a path forward that promotes transparency, efficiency, and accountability within the Security Council.

Thank you!