In the General Assembly vote on new non-permanent members of the UN Security Council yesterday, Germany’s candidacy failed, receiving only 104 votes, whereas Portugal received 134 and Austria 131. The one to deliver the harsh blow was, of all people, Wadephul’s predecessor and current president of the General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock.
Among the reasons why Germany’s bid failed were its policies of double standards on Gaza and ignorance about the interests of the Global South. Former diplomat Martin Kobler told Table.Briefings: “Germany’s clear defeat is a painful signal…. The scale of the defeat, with only 104 votes, is a shock.” For Kobler, who has worked on behalf of Germany and later also for the UN in many of the world’s hotspots, “the result is the consequence of a policy of double standards. In the eyes of many UN member states, Germany applies a double standard: unyielding toward the Russian aggressor in Ukraine, but obstructive and hesitant when it comes to assessing Israeli behavior in Gaza.” Anyone who so vehemently demands international law and human rights as the foundation of their policy must not subject them to the proviso of political expediency.
