Commitment to peace and security

Germany’s global commitment to peace and secur­ity, promoting human rights Human rights The respect and strengthening of human rights worldwide are a cornerstone of German Federal Government policy. Together with its EU partners it is committed to protecting and continually advancing human rights standards throughout the world. This occurs in close collaboration with the institutions… Read more › and protecting minor­ities are unchanging foundations of its foreign policy and are rooted in the Basic Law The Basic Law The Basic Law determines that Germany is a constitutional state: All state authorities are subject to judicial control. Section 1 of the Basic Law is of particular relevance. It stipulates that respect for human dignity is the most important aspect of the constitution: “Human dignity shall be… Read more › . On the one hand, Germany accepts this duty out of recognition of its historical responsibilities. On the other hand, it is in Germany’s interest to prevent crises and manage conflicts, as the effects of crises may be felt around the world, including in Germany. Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine gravely undermines international security and stability in Europe.

Germany’s multilateral links form the basis for its foreign policy activity. For example, deployments of the armed forces always take place within systems of collect­ive defence or security. Above all, these involve international organisations such as the UN, the EU or NATO Nato The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was founded in 1949. This defense alliance now has 29 member states; Germany joined in 1955. The German Armed Forces are part of NATO’s mission in Kosovo and of the NATO-led Resolute Support operation in Afghanistan. NATO’s HQ is in the Belgian capital… Read more › . The Bundestag The Bundestag The Bundestag is the elected representation of the German people. Technically speaking half the 598 seats in the Bundestag are allocated by means of the parties’ state lists (the second vote) and the other half by the direct election of candidates in the 299 constituencies (the first vote). This… Read more › must also approve deployment of German forces abroad. For this reason, the German armed forces are considered a parliamentary military force.

For the Federal Government Federal Government The Federal Government and cabinet is made up of the Federal Chancellor and the Federal Ministers. While the Chancellor holds the power to issue directives, the ministers have departmental powers, meaning that they independently run their respective ministries in the framework of those directives… Read more › , the priority is always to use civilian means. The primary goal is always to identify crises and conflicts at an early stage and to defuse them before they can escalate. Disarmament and arms control are key elements of German foreign policy. 

They form the guiding principle for efforts to promote peace, security and development as described in guidelines developed by the Federal Foreign Office in 2017: “Preventing crises, resolving conflicts, building peace”. For the Federal Government, paying close attention to the connections between the climate crisis and issues around peace, security is an essential task, so as to identify climate-related conflicts at an early stage. Increasingly, the focus is on new threats to global security in cyberspace. The Federal Government has created a new National Security Strategy to counter these challenges. The Strategy is being draw up in 2022 and includes wide-ranging public consult­ations.  The Strategy is based on a comprehensive security concept which takes a holistic view of 
human security.

Ever since the formation of the federal armed forces in 1955, Germany has been integrated into NATO Nato The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was founded in 1949. This defense alliance now has 29 member states; Germany joined in 1955. The German Armed Forces are part of NATO’s mission in Kosovo and of the NATO-led Resolute Support operation in Afghanistan. NATO’s HQ is in the Belgian capital… Read more › both politically and militarily. Germany’s place at the heart of the north Atlantic alliance is part of the DNA of German foreign policy. The German armed forces are a major provider of NATO troops. For example, Germany has contributed to the NATO KFOR security force in Kosovo since 1999. German armed forces are also taking a leading role as a “framework nation” to help secure NATO’s eastern frontier. This is part of the enhanced Forward Presence mission (eFP), which contributes to safeguarding Eastern European states. Germany is supporting the close cooperation between NATO and the EU and consistently advocates for the impact of climate change to be given greater consideration in security policy. 

In the context of Russia’s war of aggression, the Federal Government Federal Government The Federal Government and cabinet is made up of the Federal Chancellor and the Federal Ministers. While the Chancellor holds the power to issue directives, the ministers have departmental powers, meaning that they independently run their respective ministries in the framework of those directives… Read more › set up a special armed forces fund in 2022 worth 100 billion euros. Germany is modernising the equipment used by its armed forces and strengthening its national defences and those of its allies. By doing this, Germany is meeting its obligations from the 2014 NATO summit in Wales and the 2022 Madrid summit most recently, and is making long-term investments in necessary military capacities. 

Ever since Germany joined the UN in 1973, the Federal Republic has been a committed, reliable and valued member of the organisation. Germany is the fourth-largest contributor to the UN general budget. In 2021, Germany contributed 6.1% of the budget, worth around 176 million dollars (US). For the  period from July 2021 to June 2022, it provided an additional 400 million USD for the budgets of individual peace missions. Germany’s support for the missions includes providing stabilisation measures, making efforts to achieve mediation through diplomacy and providing aid in the aftermath of crises. It also supplies troops, police officers and expert personnel.

For example, Germany’s armed forces are contributing to one of the UN’s longest-running peacekeeping missions, the UNIFIL, which safeguards peace between Israel and Lebanon. In concrete terms, the deployment includes helping the Lebanese government secure its sea borders and supporting the prevention of arms smuggling. Members of the German armed forces are also contributing to the training of the Lebanese navy.

The United Nations United Nations The United Nations (UN) are the foundations and cornerstone of the international system. So as to adapt it to the political realities of the present day, Germany is in favour of a reform of the UN. Since 1996 Germany, which is the fourth largest contributor to the UN budget, has been one of the UN… Read more › also has a considerable presence in Germany, with a number of of­fices in the country. The UN High  Commissioner for Refugees  (UNHCR) opened a regional office in Bonn in 1951. Since then, some 30 UN organisations have offices in Germany, particularly at the UN Campus in Bonn, where over  20 organisations are headquartered. Another essential pillar upholding peace and security is the Organ­ization for Security and Co-oper­ation in Europe ( OSCE OSCE With its 57 member states, the Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE) is a comprehensive forum for cooperation at the pan-European level. OSCE missions are active above all in conflict prevention and management. Germany makes a substantial contribution to finance and man-power… Read more › ), which Germany supports in intensive and varied ways. The OSCE is succeeded the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) in 1995. The OSCE has its origins in the Helsinki Accords. Signed in 1975, the Accords declared that the inviolability of frontiers and the peaceful settlement of disputes were the principles for maintaining peace in Europe. The OSCE now comprises 57 member states from Europe, North America and Central Asia, making it the world’s largest regional security organisation. With the goal of preventing conflicts and promoting democratisation, the OSCE maintains permanent missions in many countries. Its work includes regularly sending election observers to member states, and Germany contributes to this process. 

The Center for International Peace Operations (ZIF) also works to help prevent crises and consolidate peace around the world. The ZIF was set up in 2002 by the Federal Government Federal Government The Federal Government and cabinet is made up of the Federal Chancellor and the Federal Ministers. While the Chancellor holds the power to issue directives, the ministers have departmental powers, meaning that they independently run their respective ministries in the framework of those directives… Read more › and the Bundestag The Bundestag The Bundestag is the elected representation of the German people. Technically speaking half the 598 seats in the Bundestag are allocated by means of the parties’ state lists (the second vote) and the other half by the direct election of candidates in the 299 constituencies (the first vote). This… Read more › . Working on behalf of the Federal Foreign Office, the ZIF trains civilian experts and supplies personnel for peace and election observer missions. Around 6,000 election observers have been deployed within 20 years.
 

Germany is making an important contribution to global security through its commitment to disarma­ment and arms control. The Federal Government Federal Government The Federal Government and cabinet is made up of the Federal Chancellor and the Federal Ministers. While the Chancellor holds the power to issue directives, the ministers have departmental powers, meaning that they independently run their respective ministries in the framework of those directives… Read more › is working towards a world free of nuclear weapons, based on the foundation of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). In addition, Germany is campaigning to promote the universality and implementation of international treaties and agreements relevant to this area, such as the Chemical Weapons Convention, which codifies rules prohibiting the use of chemical weapons. Germany is also actively involved in promoting the global ban on mines and cluster munitions. Specifically the Federal Government is supporting humanitarian efforts to clear mines and weapons and to care for victims.