President,
thank you for convening this important debate.

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

We are witnessing a deep crisis in the functioning of the Security Council. This has been echoed by many delegations who took the floor today, and also in last week’s Security Council Open Debate on “Working Methods”.

This crisis impacts the perception of the entire United Nations system. People around the world increasingly blame the UN for failing to maintain peace and security. We must take this criticism seriously. If not, the future of our organization is at stake.

We must seize the momentum of the 80th session of the General Assembly to make concrete progress, in the context of UN80, but also, specifically, on the reform of the Security Council.

President,
we join others in expressing our gratitude for the timely appointment of the IGN Co-Chairs. We have full confidence in their experience, skill and ambition to move the stalled process forward.

This been said, regrettably, in the past cycle of the IGN, we have made little progress. Yes, the model discussions have considerably improved the work of the IGN. But we must prevent a situation, where is this format becomes =yet another= perpetual exercise.

With the announcement by the C10, this morning, to submit the model of the African Union, we now have the unique opportunity to move forward. We therefore strongly urge all Member States to contribute to the consolidation of models, as outlined in the Pact for the Future.

Based on the models presented, we must now develop a single document to build upon.

The majority of Member States expressed a clear preference for an expansion in both membership categories. This must be reflected in any consolidated model.

Both categories, permanent and non-permanent membership must be increased, for both, underrepresented regions such as Africa, and for member states that significantly contribute to global peace and security.

This is not just a technical provision; it goes to what the core of the reform is all about: creating a Security Council that can live up to the expectations of today’s world.

I thank you.