By Fiona Fleck
Reuters
April 16, 1997
BONN, Germany - UN Secretary General Kofi Annan disappointed Germany Wednesday by saying a proposal to give it a permanent seat onto the United Nations Security Council has little chance of success in a membership vote.
Germany has long aspired to join the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia as one of the permanent members, arguing that it is one of the biggest financial contributors to the UN and deserves more influence.
Annan told a news conference on his first visit to Germany since he took office in January that he was determined to help reform the world body.
A proposal to make both Japan and Germany permanent members of an expanded Council was made in March by UN General Assembly president Razali Ismail as part of efforts to make the body better reflect the balance of global power in the 1990s.
But Annan said he did not believe the plan would win majority support among UN members. He said this had been clear at a meeting of more than 100 nonaligned states, who form a majority of UN member states, in Delhi last week. Annan said they objected to the idea, included in the plan that the new permanent members should not have a right to veto -- a right the current permanent members enjoy. Annan nevertheless said there was a need to reform the Security Council.
"The council's composition and structure as it exists today reflect the situation in 1945," Annan said after holding talks with Kinkel. "It's essential we bring it in line with today's reality."
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