Former diplomats Christoph Heusgen, representing Germany, and Mariangela Zappia, representing Italy, have called for a profound overhaul of the United Nations Security Council as the UN General Assembly begins.
In a guest contribution to the “Rheinische Post”, Heusgen and Zappia advise Germany to drop its insistence on securing a permanent seat on the Council. They argue that the case for adding a third permanent European seat alongside France and the United Kingdom no longer holds water today. Instead, they urge Europe to leverage its political influence to promote a more balanced representation of other global regions, specifically highlighting Africa and Latin America.
The diplomats contend that the Security Council is neither representative of the modern 21st century nor sufficiently capable of action. They argue that three of the five permanent members-China, Russia, and the United States-can use their veto power to block decisions. This privilege, they stress, is merely a relic of the international order established after World War II and fails to reflect today’s political realities.
Heusgen and Zappia call for Germany and Italy to cease their internal disagreements regarding reform. They point out that Germany has pressed for its own permanent seat, while Italy has campaigned for additional non-permanent seats with longer terms. They assert that it is time to end this dispute; reform must not merely reward individual nations but instead place all 193 United Nations member states back at the center of the discussion.
Such a structural change is not only necessary for a fairer global order but also serves the self-interest of medium-sized powers. They argue that only when states of comparable political and economic weight stand together can they help shape a more representative-and ultimately more effective-Security Council. To overcome the ongoing deadlock in transnational negotiations, the diplomats warn that Germany and Italy must now act jointly to present a unified proposal for a more equitable and representative Council.
Finally, Heusgen and Zappia express conviction that the required two-thirds majority can be achieved in the General Assembly. They conclude that the majority of the world desires a return to effective multilateralism-an international structure where the rule of law holds greater sway than raw power.
