New York, September 27. The foreign ministers of the Group of Four (G4) nations – India, Brazil, Germany, and Japan – met on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 25, reiterating their call for urgent reform of the UN Security Council (UNSC) to better reflect contemporary global realities.
In a joint statement issued following the meeting, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Brazil’s Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, Germany’s Federal Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, and Japan’s Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi underscored that the Security Council, the core of multilateralism, has become increasingly ineffective in addressing international crises. They stressed that expanding both permanent and non-permanent categories of membership is critical to enhancing the Council’s representativeness, legitimacy and efficiency – an idea supported by a majority of UN member states.
The ministers emphasised the need to increase the participation of developing countries and major contributors to international peace and security. They highlighted the importance of better representation for underrepresented regions, including Africa, the Asia-Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean, reaffirming strong support for the Common African Position outlined in the Ezulwini Consensus and Sirte Declaration.
The Common African Position (CAP) represents the African Union’s unified framework for engaging with global issues, articulating the continent’s priorities, and shaping international negotiations. Enshrined in the Ezulwini Consensus, it underscores Africa’s exclusion from permanent membership of the UN Security Council and calls for the allocation of at least two permanent seats to the continent.
The G4 nations, in the joint statement, also reiterated mutual backing for each other’s candidacies for permanent membership in a reformed Security Council, affirming their readiness to assume greater responsibilities as democratic nations committed to multilateralism, international law, and the UN Charter.
Reviewing the work of the 79th UNGA, the ministers voiced concern over the lack of tangible progress in the Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) process on UNSC reform. They urged that the IGN follow standard UN procedures and stressed that consensus should not be treated as a requirement for decision-making. They further expressed willingness to engage beyond the IGN framework, including in the UNGA and other forums, to build momentum toward text-based negotiations.
Marking the UN’s 80th anniversary, the G4 ministers committed to intensifying outreach during the current UNGA session, working with other member states and groups to forge a consolidated model for reform. They urged the international community to seize the moment and engage constructively, framing UNSC reform as part of a broader overhaul of the UN.
