G4 nations

---

title: "G4 nations" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["2005-establishments", "2005-in-international-relations", "united-nations-coalitions-and-unofficial-groups", "united-nations-reform", "brazil-and-the-united-nations", "germany-and-the-united-nations", "india-and-the-united-nations", "japan-and-the-united-nations", "brazil–germany-relations", "brazil–india-relations", "brazil–japan-relations", "germany–india-relations", "germany–japan-relations", "india–japan-relations", "multilateral-relations-of-brazil", "multilateral-relations-of-india", "multilateral-relations-of-germany", "multilateral-relations-of-japan"] description: "Brazil, Germany, India, and Japan in the UN" topic_path: "politics" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G4_nations" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Brazil, Germany, India, and Japan in the UN ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox international organization"]

Field	Value
name	G4
native name	{{unbulleted list
map	File:G4 Nations.svg
map_caption	Map of G4 countries
formation	2005
type	Political cooperative alliance
purpose	Reform of the UNSC
membership	{{Collapsible list
title	G4 nations
leader_name	Brazil
bodystyle	width:25em
::

| name = G4 | native name = {{unbulleted list | pt | de | hi | ja | image = | alt = | caption = | map = File:G4 Nations.svg | map_caption = Map of G4 countries | abbreviation = | motto = | predecessor = | formation = 2005 | extinction = | type = Political cooperative alliance | status = | purpose = Reform of the UNSC | location = | membership = {{Collapsible list | title = G4 nations | | | | }} | leader_title = | leader_name = Brazil : President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

Germany : Chancellor Friedrich Merz

India : Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Japan : Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi | main_organ = | parent_organization = | affiliations = | budget = | staff = | staff_year = | volunteers = | volunteers_year = | website = | remarks = | bodystyle = width:25em

The G4 nations, comprising Brazil, Germany, India, and Japan, are four countries which support each other's bids for permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council. Unlike the G7, where the common denominator is the economy and long-term political motives, the G4's primary aim is the permanent member seats on the Security Council. Each of these four countries have figured among the elected non-permanent members of the council since the UN's establishment. Their economic, political and military influence has grown significantly in the last decades, reaching a scope comparable to the permanent members (P5). However, the G4's bids are often opposed by the Uniting for Consensus movement led by Italy, and particularly their economic competitors or political rivals.

Background

The UN currently has five permanent members with veto power in the Security Council: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States – comprising the victors of World War II. The G4 nations are regularly elected to two-year terms on the Security Council as non-permanent members by their respective regional groups: in the 24-year period from 1987 to 2010, Brazil and Japan were elected for five terms each, Germany for four terms (one term as West Germany and three terms as unified Germany) and India for eight terms. Cumulatively, the G4 has spent 64 years on the Security Council since the UN's inception, with each country serving at least a decade.

::data[format=table] | Comparison of G4 and P5 nations | Country data | Brazil BRA | China CHN | France FRA | Germany GER | India IND | Japan JPN | Russia RUS | United Kingdom U.K. | United States U.S. | 1share of annual UN budget 2share of funding for UN peacekeeping 3Germany takes part in NATO nuclear weapons sharing agreement | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | ** G4 nation or P5 nation** | G4 | P5 | P5 | G4 | G4 | G4 | P5 | P5 | P5 | | | | Region | Latin America and Caribbean | Asia-Pacific | Western European and Others | Western Europe and Others | Asia-Pacific | Asia-Pacific | Eastern Europe | Western Europe and Others | Western Europe and Others (observer) | | | | Population | 2.7% 7th | 17.9% 2nd | 0.9% 20th | 1.1% 19th | 17.9% 1st | 1.6% 11th | 1.9% 9th | 0.9% 21st | 4.2% 3rd | | | | Territory | 8 515 767 km2 5th | 9 596 961 km2 4th | 640 679 km2 42nd | 357 114 km2 62nd | 3 287 263 km2 7th | 377 973 km2 61st | 17 098 246 km2 1st | 242 495 km2 78th | 9 833 517 km2 3rd | | | | GDP (nominal) (US$trillion) | $2.25 11th | $19.40 2nd | $3.36 7th | $5.01 3rd | $4.12 5th | $4.27 4th | $2.54 9th | $3.95 6th | $30.61 1st | | | | GDP (PPP) (US$trillion) | $4.973 8th | $41.015 1st | $4.533 9th | $6.153 6th | $17.714 3rd | $6.758 5th | $7.143 4th | $4.454 10th | $30.615 2nd | | | | **UN funding**1 | 2.95% 8th | 12.01% 2nd | 4.43% 6th | 6.09% 4th | 0.83% 21st | 8.56% 3rd | 2.41% 10th | 4.57% 5th | 22.00% 1st | | | | **UN peacekeeping funding**2 | 0.59% 19th | 15.22% 2nd | 5.61% 6th | 6.09% 4th | 0.17% 38th | 8.56% 3rd | 3.04% 8th | 5.79% 5th | 27.89% 1st | | | | UN peacekeepers | 282 47th | 2,531 9th | 706 30th | 504 37th | 5,353 5th | 6 105th | 70 70th | 279 48th | 33 78th | | | | Defence budget (US$billion) | $20.9 21st | $314.0 2nd | $64.7 9th | $88.5 4th | $86.1 5th | $55.3 10th | $149.0 3rd | $81.8 6th | $997.0 1st | | | | Military (active) | 374,500 14th | 2,035,000 1st | 202,000 23rd | 179,850 26th | 1,475,750 2nd | 247,150 22nd | 1,134,000 5th | 141,100 35th | 1,315,600 3rd | | | | Military (reserve) | 1,415,000 5th | 510,000 10th | 38,500 49th | 34,100 52nd | 1,155,000 6th | 55,900 41st | 1,500,000 4th | 70,450 34th | 797,200 7th | | | | Paramilitary (active) | 395,000 7th | 500,000 5th | 95,100 22nd | 0 — | 1,616,050 3rd | 14,800 59th | 569,000 4th | 0 — | 0 — | | | | Military (total) | 2,184,500 7th | 3,045,000 6th | 335,600 33rd | 213,950 45th | 4,246,800 4th | 317,850 34th | 3,203,000 5th | 211,550 46th | 2,112,800 8th | | | | Active space program | | | | | | | | | | | | | Helicopter carriers projects | | | | | | | | | | | | | Aircraft carriers projects | | | | | | | | | | | | | Nuclear submarines projects | | | | | | | | | | | | | Active nuclear arsenal | | 350 | 290 | 3 | 180 | | 5,977 | 225 | 5,428 | | | ::

Opinions

Support

The United Kingdom and France have backed the G4's bid for permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council. Japan has received support from the United States and the United Kingdom.

All the permanent members of P5 have supported India's bids for permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), but China has previously implied that it is only ready to support India's bid for a permanent seat on United Nations Security Council if India does not associate its bid with Japan.

The United States has sent strong indications to Brazil that it is willing to support its membership, albeit without a veto. The Council on Foreign Relations recommended that the U.S. government fully endorse the inclusion of Brazil as a permanent member of the Security Council. Brazil has received backing from three of the current permanent members, namely France, Russia, and the United Kingdom.

In the final document of the 2019 BRICS summit, China and Russia say they "reiterate the importance of a comprehensive Security Council reform" and "support Brazil and India's aspiration for more relevant UN roles".

As stated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov at the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi in January 2020: "I would say the Security Council's main shortcoming is the under-representation of developing countries. We reiterate our position that India and Brazil absolutely deserve to be on the council together with an African candidate, our position is that the purpose of the reform is to make sure that the developing countries enjoy a better treatment in the central organ of the United Nations".

Opposition

There has been discontent among the present permanent members regarding the inclusion of controversial nations or countries not supported by them. For instance, Japan's bid is opposed by China, Russia, North Korea and South Korea.

Under the leadership of Spain and Italy, countries that strongly oppose the G4 countries' bids have formed the Uniting for Consensus movement, composed mainly of regional powers that oppose the rise of some nearby country to permanent member status. Uniting for Consensus supports expanding the number of non-permanent security council members and restricting the usage of the veto. The bloc argues that adding more permanent seats to the security council only benefits the nations that gain those seats, and believes that an expansion of the non-permanent membership will make the UNSC both more flexible and more democratic.

In Latin America countries, Colombia, Mexico and Argentina opposes a seat for Brazil. In Asia, Pakistan opposes India's bid.

Another counter-proposal, the Ezulwini Consensus, was presented by the African Union, calling for the addition of five new non-permanent seats and two new permanent seats to be allocated to African nations, in response to a lack of African representation on the Security Council.

Activity

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/UN_Security_Council_and_G4.svg" caption="P5]] members as a future reformed UNSC"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/Meeting_of_G4_Leaders_on_United_Nations_Security_Council_Reform_20150926_1.jpg" caption="Meeting of G4 leaders (September 26, 2015)"] ::

The G4 suggested that two African nations, in addition to themselves, be included in the enlarged UNSC. In several conferences during the summer of 2005, African Union was unable to agree on two nominees: Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa all lay claim to a permanent African UNSC seat.

A UN General Assembly in September 2005 marked the 60th anniversary of the UN and the members were to decide on a number of necessary reforms—including the enlarged Security Council. However the unwillingness to find a negotiable position stopped even the most urgent reforms; the September 2005 General Assembly was a setback for the UN.

The G4 retain their goal of permanent UNSC membership for all four nations (plus two African nations). In January 2006, Japan announced it would not support putting the G4 resolution back on the table, not to interfere with any effort by the African Union to unite behind a single plan. And meanwhile, Japan's continuing relations with the G4 were not mutually exclusive. G4 issued a joint statement on 12 February 2011, in which their foreign ministers agreed to seek concrete outcome in the current session of the UN General Assembly.

In September 2015, Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, invited the leaders of the G4 for a summit following the adoption of UN General Assembly Decision 69/560 by consensus, which moved forward for the first time. In 2017, it was reported that the G4 nations were willing to temporarily forgo veto power if granted a permanent UNSC seat.

In September 2019, in a joint press statement during the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly, the G4 ministers reiterated their strong commitment to an early and comprehensive reform of the UNSC. Bearing in mind that in 2020 the United Nations would celebrate its 75th anniversary, the G4 ministers also expressed their firm hope that the current session of the General Assembly would pave the way for finally moving on the call for an ‘early reform’ of the Security Council and underscored their steadfast support for Africa's representation in both the permanent and non-permanent categories of membership of a future reform.

In September 2023, in a joint press statement during the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, the foreign ministers of G4, joined to discuss the state of play of the negotiations for the reform of the UNSC, and reiterated that the expansion of the Security Council is essential to make the body more representative, legitimate, effective and efficient, adding that Africa needs to be represented in both the permanent and non-permanent categories of membership of a reformed and expanded Council.

In November 2025, in reference to the 80th anniversary of the United Nations, Brazil, supported by Germany, India, and Japan, called for the start of reform negotiations, stating, "as confidence in the UN is shaken and the international order anchored in international law and the UN Charter faces unprecedented pressure, reform is necessary not only to strengthen this organization as a whole, but also to reinforce the entire multilateral system on which it is based and sustained".

Current leaders of the G4 Nations

The following are the head of state and heads of government that represent the members of the G4 nations as of 2025:

File:Lula (05-09-2024).jpg|Brazil Lula da Silva President of the Federative Republic of Brazil since 1 January 2023 File:2025-02-23 Bundestagswahl – Wahlabend CDU by Sandro Halank–070.jpg|Germany Friedrich Merz Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany since 6 May 2025 File:The official portrait of Shri Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of the Republic of India.jpg|India Narendra Modi Prime Minister of the Republic of India since 26 May 2014 File:Sanae Takaichi 20251021 (cropped) 1.jpg|Japan Sanae Takaichi Prime Minister of the State of Japan since 21 October 2025

Current ministerial leaders

::data[format=table]

Member	Foreign minister	Name	Defense minister	Name
Brazil	Minister of Foreign Affairs	Mauro Vieira	Minister of Defence	José Múcio
Germany	Minister for Foreign Affairs	Johann Wadephul	Minister of Defence	Boris Pistorius
India	Minister of External Affairs	Subrahmanyam Jaishankar	Minister of Defence	Rajnath Singh
Japan	Minister for Foreign Affairs	Toshimitsu Motegi	Minister of Defense	Shinjirō Koizumi
::

References

References

1. (2006-01-07). "Japan Says No to G4 Bid". Globalpolicy.org.
2. "Membership of the Security Council".
3. [[List of members of the United Nations Security Council]]
4. (27 March 2008). "Joint UK-France Summit Declaration". British Prime Minister’s.
5. [http://www.chinadaily.com.cn//doc/2005-04/18/content_435251.htm US backs Japan's UNSC bid despite setback to momentum] {{Webarchive. link. (30 January 2021 , [[People's Daily]], 19 April 2005)
6. [http://www.centralchronicle.com/20070111/1101194.htm UK backs Japan for UNSC bid] {{webarchive. link. (21 February 2007 , Central Chronicle, 11 January 2007)
7. "China Should Back India for a Permanent UN Security Council Seat".
8. [http://in.chineseembassy.org/eng/ssygd/zygx/t191495.htm China supports India's bid for UNSC seat: Wen] {{Webarchive. link. (11 November 2020 .)
9. Krishnan, Ananth. (16 July 2011). "China ready to support Indian bid for UNSC". The Hindu.
10. [http://www.centerforunreform.org/node/386 "Countries Welcome Work Plan as Security Council Reform Process Commences New Phase"] {{Webarchive. link. (27 September 2015 . Center for UN Reform Education.)
11. [https://www.foxnews.com/story/powell-brazil-not-developing-nukes "Powell: Brazil Not Developing Nukes"] [[News Channel]]. Retrieved 28 June 2009.
12. "Global Brazil and U.S.-Brazil Relations".
13. [http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/country-files_156/brazil_444/index.html "France and Brazil"] {{webarchive. link. (10 January 2008 , Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France. Retrieved 28 June 2009.)
14. (27 March 2008). "Joint UK-France Summit Declaration". British Prime Minister's.
15. [http://www.brazzilmag.com/content/view/832/41/ "Putin in Brazil"] {{webarchive. link. (24 July 2009 , ''Brazzil''. Retrieved 28 June 2009.)
16. "Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's remarks and answers to questions at a plenary session of the Raisina Dialogue international conference, New Delhi, January 15, 2020".
17. [http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100511105408/http://number10.gov.uk/news/latest-news/2009/03/uk-backs-brazil-as-permanent-security-council-member-18798 "UK backs Brazil as permanent Security Council member"], 10 Downing ., 27 March 2009. Retrieved 28 June 2009.
18. (14 November 2019). "BRICS divulga "Declaração de Brasília"".
19. "Allying with Japan at Security Council is India's 'Biggest Mistake': Chinese Media".
20. "[http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/reform/cluster1/2005/0603models.htm Players and Proposals in the Security Council Debate] {{Webarchive. link. (15 January 2022 ", Global Policy Forum, 3 July 2005. Retrieved 14 May 2006.)
21. "'UNITING FOR CONSENSUS' GROUP OF STATES INTRODUCES TEXT ON SECURITY COUNCIL REFORM TO GENERAL ASSEMBLY {{!}} Meetings Coverage and Press Releases".
22. "People's Daily Online -- Argentina opposes Brazilian admission to UN Security Council".
23. Iqbal, Anwar. (2020-09-27). "Pakistan opposes India's demand for UNSC seat".
24. (2011-10-25). "African Union. Inventory of International Nonproliferation Organizations and Regimes".
25. [https://www.un.org/av/radio/unandafrica/transcript57.htm Africa's Battle for Power in the Security Council], United Nations Radio, 21 July 2005. Retrieved 14 May 2006. {{webarchive. link. (27 December 2005)
26. [http://www.africafocus.org/docs05/un0504.php Africa: Security Council Expansion] {{Webarchive. link. (24 February 2009 , AfricaFocus Bulletin, 30 April 2005. Retrieved 14 May 2006.)
27. "International Review, Summer, 2006 by Emily Bruemmer".
28. [http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/reform/cluster1/2006/0107bid.htm Japan Says No to G4 Bid] {{Webarchive. link. (19 May 2009 , Global Policy Forum, News24.com, 7 Jan 2006)
29. Sharma, Rajeev. (27 September 2015). "India pushes the envelope at G4 Summit: PM Modi tells UNSC to make space for largest democracies". First Post.
30. "India Offers To Temporarily Forgo Veto Power If Granted Permanent UNSC Seat". [[The Huffington Post]].
31. (25 September 2019). "Joint Press Statement".
32. (21 September 2023). "Joint Press Statement".
33. Chade, Jamil. (18 November 2025). "Brasil propõe que negociação para expansão de Conselho da ONU seja iniciada".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::