G4 Ministers urge urgent reform of UN Security Council

New Delhi, Sep 26: On September 23, 2024, the Foreign Ministers of the G4 nations — Brazil, Germany, India, and Japan met during the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly to discuss the long-pending reform of the UN Security Council.

A joint press statement emphasised the need for reform to reflect contemporary global realities. They called on the international community to fully engage in efforts to advance these changes.

The G4 Ministers — Mauro Vieira of Brazil, Annalena Baerbock of Germany, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar of India, and Yoko Kamikawa of Japan — stressed that the 80th anniversary of the UN in 2025 presents a crucial moment for reform. “We urge the international community to engage wholeheartedly in these efforts,” they stated, underscoring their determination to work closely with the wider UN membership to push for Security Council reform during the 79th General Assembly.

The Ministers reaffirmed their mutual support for each other’s bids for permanent membership in a reformed Council, advocating for expansion in both permanent and non-permanent categories.

They also stressed the importance of an “improved representation of under-represented and unrepresented groups and regions, such as Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America and the Caribbean, in both membership categories” in UN decision-making.. The G4 ministers reaffirmed their strong support to the Common African Position (CAP) as enshrined in the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration.”

While acknowledging the progress made in the Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) during the 78th session of the General Assembly, they voiced concern over the lack of substantial advances. “There is an urgent need to move towards text-based negotiations,” the Ministers said, expressing hope that the recent surge in support for these negotiations would lead to tangible outcomes. They reiterated their commitment to continuing discussions on reform models and consolidating collective efforts to develop a concrete proposal.

As part of their broader strategy for global governance reform, the Ministers also welcomed Brazil’s “Call to Action on Global Governance Reform” during its G20 Presidency.

The G4 reiterated that reforming the Security Council remains a top priority, especially following the strong calls for change at the recent “Summit of the Future” held in September 2024.