Germany Lobbying for UN Seat

F.A.Z. Weekly. In the German government's pecking order, Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer is also the country's vice chancellor. But Fischer got a promotion of sorts when he met on Tuesday with three heads of states to discuss their diplomatic push to gain permanent seats on the United Nations' most powerful group, the Security Council.

During the meeting, some of his discussion partners dropped the word "vice" when they addressed Fischer, temporarily putting him on the same protocol level as the other political leaders.

Fischer experienced this diplomatic lift when he met on Tuesday with Luis Inacio Lula de Silva of Brazil, Junichiro Koizumi of Japan and Manmohan Singh of India. In a joint statement, the four men made their intentions of seeking permanent seats clear.

On Thursday, Fischer went before the U.N. General Assembly to make Germany's case. He said a plan to expand the council must consider those U.N. members "who want and can make an especially meaningful and sustainable contribution to protecting world peace and ensuring international security."

The day before, Fischer described during a television interview just what sort of contribution Germany had already made, saying it has provided the second-largest number of troops to U.N. missions and is the third-biggest financer of the organization.

The foreign minister also said that the fight among Security Council members before the U.S.-led war against Iraq in 2003 had revealed the organization's weaknesses. He said the fight also had shown the need "to create an effective, efficient and representative United Nations - even in the core area of the Security Council."

Fischer's efforts are part of an intensified campaign launched by German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder to gain the seat for Germany. Previously, Schröder's coalition agreement between the Social Democrats and Greens focused first on obtaining a permanent European seat on the council.

But during the spring government sources said that such a seat was unlikely to be approved at the moment and that the national seat was being given priority. Schröder has also picked up the conditional support of the country's major opposition party, the Christian Democrats, in his push.

The current structure of the Security Council was set up immediately after World War II. The council has five permanent members - China, France, United Kingdom, the United States and Russia. It also has 10 rotating members elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly. The council's primary mission is to maintain international peace and security. To achieve this goal, it can also take military action against an aggressor.

The latest push faces a number of political barriers. One of these focuses on the need to have an African country receive a permanent seat. Such a seat is necessary for the sake of global balance as well as political support of the reform plan. Africa has 53 of the 191 members in the U.N. General Assembly that must approve a re-organization. Fischer's diplomatic efforts are directed at winning support for one of three countries - South Africa, Egypt or Nigeria.

Another challenge for Fischer lies in Europe. Italy, in particular, thinks it would be left behind by Germany's promotion. As a result, it is supporting a competing proposal that would lengthen temporary membership on the council. The planned backed by Italy, Mexico and Pakistan would create a three-tier system: the permanent members, four- or five-year members and two-year members.

But even if Fischer's selling job was successful this week, no immediate changes are in the making. Any reform effort will have to be approved by two-thirds of the 191 members of the General Assembly. Then, it must be ratified by the member countries. U.N. diplomats estimate that could take two to four years.