G4 BACK AFRICA’S DEMAND FOR PERMANENT UN SECURITY COUNCIL SEATS
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Agency Report
Foreign Ministers of the G4 countries—Brazil, Germany, India and Japan—have backed Africa’s demand for enhanced representation on the United Nations Security Council, including permanent membership.
The ministers made their position known in a joint statement issued after meeting in New York on Tuesday on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.
The G4 comprises Brazil’s Foreign Minister, Mauro Vieira; German Federal Foreign Minister, Johann Wadephul; India’s External Affairs Minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar; and Japan’s Foreign Minister, Motegi Toshimitsu.
According to a statement issued by the German Embassy in Abuja on Wednesday, the ministers welcomed the African Group’s reform model presented during the 80th session of the Intergovernmental Negotiations on Security Council reform.
They reiterated their support for Africa’s demand for enhanced representation, “including in the permanent category of membership.”
The G4 argued that the current 15-member structure of the Security Council, established about eight decades ago, no longer reflects contemporary geopolitical realities.
According to the ministers, the Council’s “representativeness, legitimacy, credibility and efficacy are in question,” adding that its existing structure had become an impediment to addressing current and emerging challenges to international peace and security.
“Given the increasingly challenging geopolitical environment, UNSC reform is more necessary than ever before,” they said.
The ministers called for the expansion of the Security Council in both the permanent and non-permanent categories, with greater representation for under-represented and unrepresented regions, particularly Africa, the Asia-Pacific and Latin America and the Caribbean.
They also acknowledged what they described as historical injustices in the representation of those regions and groups on the Council, while calling for greater participation by countries that contribute significantly to maintaining international peace and security.
Africa currently has three non-permanent seats on the 15-member Security Council but no permanent seat.
The African Union’s Common African Position, anchored in the Ezulwini Consensus and Sirte Declaration, calls for at least two permanent seats for Africa with the same prerogatives and privileges as existing permanent members, including the veto if it is retained, as well as five non-permanent seats.
The G4 ministers expressed concern over the lack of substantive progress in the Intergovernmental Negotiations, which have been ongoing for 18 years.
They criticised the presentation of what they described as a “so-called bridging proposal” before text-based negotiations had commenced, arguing that it did not reflect the position of a clear majority of UN member states supporting expansion in both permanent and non-permanent categories.
The ministers further argued that “consensus is not the benchmark for decision-making on Security Council reform,” citing the UN Charter and the mandate of the Intergovernmental Negotiations.
They said the G4 would work with other reform-oriented groups to develop a consolidated model reflecting the position of the majority of UN member states.
They also identified the commencement of text-based negotiations as a priority towards achieving what they described as “real and impactful UNSC reform.”
The G4 said discussions on Security Council reform should not be limited to the Intergovernmental Negotiations, expressing readiness to engage the wider UN membership through other forums, including the General Assembly.
The African Union has consistently argued that the continent’s lack of a permanent seat on the Security Council represents a historical imbalance.
In May 2026, AU Commission Chairperson, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, reiterated Africa’s demand for at least two permanent and five non-permanent seats on the Council.
The G4 ministers, describing their countries as democracies committed to multilateralism, the rule of law and the purposes of the UN Charter, pledged to continue coordinating on Security Council reform during the 81st General Assembly session.
They tasked officials from their respective countries with following up on the discussions, with progress expected to be reviewed at the next Director General-level meeting in New Delhi.
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