Credit:  auswaertiges-amt.de /  © Xander Heinl/photothek.net /  Germany’s UN Security Council Presidency:  Heiko Maas, Minister of Foreign Affairs,  inaugurates Germany’s  seat on Security Council at UN World Headquarters in New York,  April 1, 2019.

Gary Raynaldo    DIPLOMATIC  TIMES

France officially handed over the UN Security Council Presidency to Germany today but the two European countries will co-chair the coveted seat until the end of the month of April.  The United Nations Security Council Chamber is, without a doubt, the most important room in the world.  The Security Council Chamber is where the U.N.’s most powerful body gathers. The U.N. Security Council is the ultimate global body tasked with maintaining international peace and security.  The Council can dispatch peacekeeping forces, impose economic embargoes, arms embargoes, and ultimately opt for collective military action.   France and Germany formed a unique Franco-German multilateral alliance last month by jointly preparing the Security Council’s working agenda for the 60 days of the co-chairmanship. The arrangement is quite unprecedented. It seeks to “re-galvanize” the Franco-German partnership in the framework of the United Nations.

Germany and France have joined forces during the  months of March-April 2019 on the Security Council to promote the European Union as an active partner in the multilateral system.

“From today, Germany holds the Chair of the United Nations Security Council for one month. Under the UN Charter, the Security Council is the central body for resolving conflicts and maintaining international peace. We are aware of the responsibility we are shouldering in assuming the Chair. Yet we not only want to help ensure that the Security Council does justice to its role in crisis management.”     

Foreign Minister Heiko Maas statement ,  1 April, 2019

credit: Permanent Mission of the Federal Republic of Germany to the UN /  Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Germany’s Priorities in the UN Security Council

Ambassador Christoph Heusgen (Germany),  will serve as UN Security Council President  the month of April.

Credit:  / auswaertiges-amt.de /  European Union Partners !    German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and France Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.,  © Florian Gaertner/photothek.net

According to the Federal Foreign Office,  Germany will set its own priorities for its month long Presidency: women, peace and security will play a key role, as will disarmament and arms control.

The German Presidency follows on from that of France, a permanent member of the Security Council. For the first time in the body’s history, there are two closely coordinated consecutive Presidencies. France (in March) and Germany (in April) see their Presidencies as a joint project aimed at strengthening multilateralism,  according to the Federal Foreign Office.  This joint Presidency, with which France and Germany are hoping to open a new chapter in the history of the UNSecurity Council founded in 1946, will be known as the “Jumelage”.  

“France and Germany are prepared to act in unison with other partners as the engine and hub for the network. To this end, Paris and Berlin will take advantage of Germany’s membership of the UN Security Council in 2019 and 2020 to work together on strengthening multilateralism. In particular, we will cooperate closely when we successively hold the Presidency of the UN Security Council in New York in March and April of this year.”  

Germany Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and France Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian joint statement.