GPPi holds debate on United Nations reform plans and the German position

On May 31, GPPi gathered experts from various backgrounds and involved them in a lively panel discussion in order to gain an understanding of the issues at stake in the new push for United Nations reform.

GPPi brought together a panel consisting of Joscha Schmierer, Member of Foreign Office’s Policy Planning Staff, Prof. Dr. Thomas Risse, Director of the Center for Transatlantic Foreign and Security Policy Studies, Freie Universität Berlin, as well as Friederike Bauer, Author of the new Kofi Annan biography (“Kofi Annan – Ein Leben”) and journalist for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

The discussants considered the United Nations reform proposals from various perspectives: legitimacy, practicality, and political capital.

The most imporant question for German interests at the moment is the reform of the Security Council; a reform which has been a longstanding point on Annan’s agenda of change. How likely is the adoption of the proposed Model A, allocating six new permanent seats to various nations including Germany? And is Germany ready to sensibly occupy the seat?