Comment du Jour

Germany, Portugal Win Security Council Seats




United Nations—In a surprising if not totally unexpected development, both Germany and Portugal won two-year stints on the UN Security Council. In the General Assembly’s annual election for the five non-permanent positions on the Council, three countries were vying for two seats—Canada, Germany, and Portugal.

Given its long standing reputation as a “global good guy” for foreign aid and multilateral development, Canada was a clear favorite for one slot, despite some yammering on the sidelines about Ottawa cutting some assistance and being too close to Washington.

Equally Germany one of the world’s largest humanitarian donors and third largest contributor to the UN budget seemed to have an inside track. Add the consistent and focused lobbying by the German Mission to the UN to explain Berlin’s position, and it appeared that the two winners would be Canada and Germany.

Portugal, a small Iberian country with a shaky socialist economy and far less political clout to being to the table looked to be a loser. Yet again many UN delegations are more “comfortable” with little Portugal. But despair not. Manuel Barosso, current EU chief and former Portuguese Prime Minister, was going to play hardball and not let Lisbon’s chance fall by the wayside. Portugal last did a two year stint on the Council in the late 1990’s.

Then came the ballot. The full 192 member General Assembly was voting and a candidate needed two-thirds support to win. Germany won in the first ballot—not surprising. Then the game got interesting. The second vote saw Portugal and Canada face-off—and Canada then graciously step aside to allow Portugal to win the seat which she did with 150 votes.

So the winners are Germany and Portugal for Europe, replacing Austria and Turkey. Other regional seats were unopposed with South Africa running and winning the African seat (see what a successful World Cup can do?), Colombia getting South America, and India the Asian seat.

Here’s what few have noticed. Come 2011 the fifteen member Security Council will reflect the BRIC combinations so many economists are enchanted with. Namely Brazil, Russia, India and China are now among the members, along with other permanent players such as France, the United Kingdom and the United States.