Home > Updates > Commentary

Can Germany Lead the Way on UN Revitalization?

Commentary

Contributed by Stimson Center, The Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH

Posted 18 October 2023

   

The recently released Global Governance Survey looks into the capacity and commitment of individual states to better manage public goods, as well as to address global challenges through multilateral institutions. A comparison shows how well Germany has positioned itself in a leadership role.

By Henry Alt-Haaker and Brian Finlay

Germans are multilaterally minded, with a majority (52%) considering themselves as global citizens, not just citizens of the Federal Republic. Compared to twelve other influential (G7 and BRICS) countries polled, the inaugural  Global Governance Survey (GGS) also found that Germans scored highest (66%), with large majorities favoring multilateral action to deal with security challenges (75%), climate change (71%), pandemic response (61%), and safeguarding human rights (64%).

Though all eyes were focused on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Summit that was held last week in New York, next year’s Summit of the Future—is likely to be far more consequential. Whereas the former took stock of the seventeen SDGs since their adoption in 2015, the latter in September 2024 aspires to rethink, upgrade, and better finance the international governance machinery to help all countries deliver on their most pressing development, environmental, human rights, and security policy goals. Especially given the German public’s strong support for reforms to strengthen the multilateral system, for example, on a more representative Security Council and empowering the International Court of Justice to pursue compensation for climate damage, Germany can play an important role in this UN revitalization program.

Contrary to public perception within the country, Germany has a demonstrated strong track record for multilateral leadership, including in the areas of refugee resettlement and climate action. Significantly, in April 2019, Berlin co-initiated the  Alliance for Multilateralism, bringing together more than 70 countries, international organizations, and representatives of civil society to, for instance, promote greater trust and security in cyberspace, improve gender equality in educational systems, and bolster international humanitarian law. Germany’s representative in New York, Ambassador Antje Leendertse, alongside her Namibian counterpart, Ambassador Neville Gertze, have co-led the 2024 Summit of the Future’s preparations. On September 1st, 2023,  they successfully concluded negotiations on an ambitious roadmap for the coming twelve months designed to achieve long-overdue, sweeping reforms to the UN’s business model.

Read the complete article on the Robert Bosch Academy website

Downloads

This item has no attachments.
Geography
topics
Stay Informed

Receive email updates about the Global Governance Innovation Network and related research.

You can opt out at any time. Read our privacy policy.

Scroll to Top