Steinmeier appealed to “all in my own country” who, after the lost election, questioned the UN’s usefulness or even demanded a reduction of engagement. A Hessian minister had floated cuts. He called the rejection of Germany’s bid for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council a “bitter defeat” that warrants critical questions of both adversaries and oneself.
The president lamented a “zeitgeist of brutality and ruthlessness” in international politics. “Raw power politics, zero-sum thinking, and confrontation are increasingly replacing the pillars of a cooperative, rules-based order,” he said. Without more international cooperation and mutual trust, global challenges like climate change, hunger, and poverty cannot be overcome.
At the same time, Steinmeier criticized the UN itself: it must become more efficient and effective. Precisely because the political wind is blowing against the UN, those working in and for the organization must prove the opposite—that the UN can deliver better results than “the strong men with their fantasies of omnipotence.” The conference in Hamburg is held under the motto “The Power of Collaboration: Driving Progress Together” and gathers around 1,600 participants from 115 countries.
Source: Tagesschau
