Berlin (dpa) – Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called for reforms in the EU, UN and World Trade Organization (WTO) given the shift in global power. Germany wants to rethink global cooperation internationally, the Green Party politician said Monday at a conference of the heads of German missions abroad at the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin. You will act as a team player, “knowing your own strengths and letting your partner’s strengths come into play”.
Baerbock was speaking two weeks before the United Nations General Assembly in New York, which is expected to be attended by Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and the Secretary of State. There will also be a ceremony to mark Germany’s 50th year as a UN member.
A lot has happened since the last reform
Baerbock complained that the UN Security Council was last reformed 60 years ago. Since then, not only has Germany reunited, but some 60 countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia have also headed for independence. “These states rightly demand a proper voice and seat in the negotiations.” The same holds true for international financial institutions, health committees, and formats such as the G20 round of leading economic powers, which also includes the African Union as a permanent negotiating member.
International instruments must be scaled up “if we are to meet today’s challenges,” said Baerbock. Conversely, if you dive into these questions, “other countries will come in and answer them,” he said, referring to China or Russia, some of which are heavily involved in African and Latin American countries. “Most importantly, China has an advantage in that we either offer too little or advertise our offerings too little,” Baerbock said.
Missed opportunities in the south?
Director General of the World Trade Organization, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, accused European governments of missing opportunities in Southern countries compared to China. So, it is a reality on the African continent that people are seeing the impact of the new and better infrastructure provided by Chinese aid. At the same time, Baerbock Nigeria and its ambassadors called for multilateral institutions like the WTO to be part of a “magic toolbox” that could be used to build bridges to these countries.
The term “Global South” often refers to countries in Latin America, Africa, the Near and Middle East or Asia such as Brazil, South Africa, India or India. 164 countries are members of the WTO which is headquartered in Geneva. Germany was a founding member in 1995.
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