Foreign Ministers from the G4 countries - Brazil, Germany, India, and Japan - have expressed support for Africa's demand for enhanced representation in the United Nations Security Council, including permanent membership. The ministers made this known in a joint statement issued after their meeting in New York on the margins of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly. The G4 comprises Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, German Federal Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu.
The G4 ministers welcomed the African Group's reform model presented during the 80th session of the Intergovernmental Negotiations on Security Council reform and reiterated their support for Africa's case for enhanced representation. They stated that the current structure of the 15-member Security Council, established eight decades ago, no longer reflected contemporary geopolitical realities. The Council's representativeness, legitimacy, credibility, and efficacy are in question, the ministers argued.
The G4 ministers called for the expansion of the Council in both the permanent and non-permanent categories, stressing the need to improve the representation of under-represented and unrepresented regions, particularly Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean. They recognised historical injustices in the representation of those regions and groups in the Council and called for greater participation by countries that contribute significantly to maintaining international peace and security.
The development is significant for Africa, which has no permanent seat on the Security Council despite having three non-permanent seats. The African Union's Common African Position calls for no fewer than 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 said the Intergovernmental Negotiations had failed to produce concrete outcomes towards substantive reform despite 18 years of discussions.
The G4 ministers expressed strong concern over the lack of progress during the previous negotiations and criticised the presentation of a so-called bridging proposal before text-based negotiations had commenced. They said consensus is not the benchmark for decision-making on Security Council reform, citing the UN Charter and the mandate of the Intergovernmental Negotiations. The ministers said the G4 would now work with other reform-oriented groups to develop a consolidated model reflecting the position of the majority of member states.
The G4 ministers pledged to continue coordinating closely during the 81st General Assembly session and tasked officials from their respective countries with following up on the discussions. Progress is expected to be reviewed at the next Director General-level meeting in New Delhi. The African Union has continued to maintain that Africa's permanent exclusion from the Security Council constitutes a historical imbalance. In May 2026, AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf reiterated the continent's demand for at least two permanent seats and five non-permanent seats.
The G4 countries described themselves as democracies committed to multilateralism, the rule of law, and the purposes of the UN Charter. They said discussions on reform should not be restricted to the Intergovernmental Negotiations, indicating their willingness to engage the wider UN membership through other forums, including the General Assembly. The ministers added that commencing text-based negotiations would be treated as a priority in order to achieve real and impactful UNSC reform.
Key points
- The G4 countries have thrown their weight behind Africa's demand for enhanced representation in the UN Security Council.
- The current structure of the Security Council no longer reflects contemporary geopolitical realities.
- The G4 ministers will work with other reform-oriented groups to develop a consolidated model reflecting the position of the majority of member states.
