Luise Amtsberg, a Green party foreign policy spokesperson, criticized the German government for its half-hearted commitment regarding its candidacy for one of the non-permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council. Amtsberg, who is also a member of the Bundestag and a former human rights commissioner in the current coalition government, stated in an interview with the “Rheinische Post” that “especially now, given the global situation, there is an urgent need for serious and credible engagement with the United Nations and international law”.
While she acknowledged that it is positive that Germany seeks to take on new responsibility on the Security Council, she argued that the government is undermining this candidacy through its lack of seriousness. She noted that merely being one of the largest contributors to the UN is insufficient.
According to Amtsberg, securing a Security Council seat requires “credible engagement, diplomatic presence, and reliable commitment to the international order”. She expressed strong irritation that the Chancellor has not attended the General Assembly and that the Foreign Minister has not yet visited the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Furthermore, the Green politician pointed out that the massive cuts made in development cooperation and humanitarian aid sent a damaging signal to the international community. Regarding the intense criticism aimed at Germany’s Middle East policy, the government has offered no response. Instead, by abstaining on the UNRWA mandate, the German government damaged a UN institution, reinforcing doubts about its consistent naming of violations of international law.
The UN General Assembly is scheduled to decide on the new non-permanent Security Council members for 2027/28 in New York next Wednesday. Germany is running in a group alongside Portugal and Austria, although only two seats are available in this group.
