Germany faces tight vote for UN Security Council seat

The UN General Assembly in New York is due to choose new non-permanent members for 2027 and 2028. Germany is competing with Austria and Portugal for two seats allocated to the "Western Europe and Others" group.

A seat on the council, which remains the only UN body with the power to adopt legally binding resolutions, would give Germany greater international weight and influence.

The Security Council comprises 15 of the 193 UN member states. Five nuclear powers and victorious nations of World War II are permanent members and hold veto power: The United States, China, Russia, the United Kingdom and France. 

Other states take turns occupying the remaining 10 seats for two-year terms.

Germany needs a two-thirds majority of votes cast in the General Assembly. If all eligible members take part, that would currently mean 128 votes, as diplomats say Afghanistan and Venezuela are not currently entitled to vote.

Germany has already served six times as a non-permanent member of the Security Council, most recently in 2019-2020, and has never failed in a bid for a seat, according to diplomats.

Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is attending the vote for Germany. Because the result is far from certain, he has been in New York since Friday to lobby for support until the last minute.

Germany announced its candidacy much later than Austria and Portugal, while campaigns for Security Council seats often run for years.