Abstract:
Since January 1, 2011, Germany has been a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. It was elected to the most important UN body for a two-year term, together with Portugal, India, Colombia, and South Africa. As a member of the Security Council, Germany takes on a special responsibility for international peace and security. Yet Berlin will have little leeway to set its own course: The German agenda will be determined to a large extent by the Council's objectives as defined by the UN Charter, by the flashpoints of global politics, and by whatever crises develop during this period, as we are presently witnessing in the Arab world. On this background, it is all the more important for Germany to determine its priority objectives and to sharpen their strategic focus
