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 United Nations United Nations The United Nations (UN) has a key role to play in the international system. Germany has been a UN member since 1973. Since joining, Germany has taken on more and more responsibility and is now one of the largest donors and supporters of the United Nations. For example, Germany is the second largest… Read more › (UN), the European Union (EU) or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization ( NATO Nato The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation was founded in 1949. The defence alliance now includes 31 countries, and Germany has been a NATO member since 1955. The Federal Armed Forces have taken part in various NATO missions. NATO is based in the Belgian capital Brussels. → nato.int   Read more › ). The Bundestag The Bundestag The Bundestag is made up of the elected representatives of the German people. In principle elections to the Bundestag are proportionally representative, with each party’s share of the vote in the election reflecting the number of seats it occupies in the parliament. But the electoral system also… Read more › must also approve deployment of German forces abroad. For this reason, the German armed forces are considered a parliamentary military force.

The priority 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 › is always to use civilian means. The primary goal is 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. The guiding principle for efforts to promote peace, security and development have been formed since 2017 by the guidelines developed by the Federal Foreign Office: “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 and sustainable development 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, which was adopted by the Federal Cabinet in June 2023. The Strategy is based on a comprehensive security concept which takes a holistic view of human security. Robustness, resilience and sustainability have been defined as the key dimensions of German security policy.

Ever since the formation of the federal armed forces in 1955, Germany has been integrated into NATO Nato The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation was founded in 1949. The defence alliance now includes 31 countries, and Germany has been a NATO member since 1955. The Federal Armed Forces have taken part in various NATO missions. NATO is based in the Belgian capital Brussels. → nato.int   Read more › (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) both politically and militarily. Germany’s place at the heart of the north Atlantic alliance is part of the DNA of German foreign policy. Collective defence is the most important principle of the alliance: its member states pledge to protect one another and to respond jointly in the event of a conflict. NATO currently has 32 member states.

The German armed forces are a major provider of NATO troops, taking part in international missions and alliance defence activities. For example, Germany has contributed to the NATO KFOR security force in Kosovo since 1999. In Lithuania, 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 June 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 2024, Germany contributed 6.1% of the budget, worth around 219 million dollars (US). Germany is likewise the fourth-largest contributor to the budgets of the individual peace missions. Its 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.

The United Nations United Nations The United Nations (UN) has a key role to play in the international system. Germany has been a UN member since 1973. Since joining, Germany has taken on more and more responsibility and is now one of the largest donors and supporters of the United Nations. For example, Germany is the second largest… 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. These days, 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 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 made up of the elected representatives of the German people. In principle elections to the Bundestag are proportionally representative, with each party’s share of the vote in the election reflecting the number of seats it occupies in the parliament. But the electoral system also… 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.