[4][5] Several French Presidents have openly spoken of their support for the UN and its aims and there are clear links between France’s own policies and the values which the UN espouses, particularly concerning human rights.

[9] Furthermore, Roosevelt, the then-leader of the US, along with other high-ranking officials, was suspicious of Charles de Gaulle, the self-proclaimed leader of the Free French and thus hesitant to collaborate with him due to his Napoleonic traits.

[8] Whilst France wasn’t invited to forums such as Dumbarton Oaks Conference[10] in 1944 (where the USA, UK, USSR, and China deliberated over proposals for the functioning of what was to become the UN to present to the other 26 nations), and never formally consulted, they were nonetheless aware such planning was taking place.

[8] British Prime Minister Winston Churchill urged American President Franklin Roosevelt to restore France to its status of a major power after the liberation of Paris in August 1944.

France’s permanent seat on the UNSC also grants it veto power which it has used and threatened to use several times since the foundation of the International organization to show its disagreement on various resolutions, though notably much less than the other veto-power-holding states (see: France–Iraq relations § Ba'athist Iraq).

Regarding the UN’s 'general budget' which finances personnel, investment, the Secretariat, and other UN field offices, France’s 2019 contribution was 123 million dollars ($USD), a 4.43% share making it the 6th highest contributor.

Beyond specifically climate change, France is also leading the fight for international environmental law, working with experts from 40 countries from around the world in different stages of development and presenting the “Global Pact for the Environment” to the UN.

The UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights passed in 1948 is partially inspired by France’s own Déclaration des droits de l’Homme et du citoyen from 1789 and many parallels can be drawn between the two.

[34] Four days later, on 26 February, Mr. Jean-Yves Le Drian, the French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, presented France’s candidacy for the council at the opening of its 43rd session in Geneva:[35]“Institutions and the very principle of multilateralism are exposed to unprecedented attempts at destabilization.

With other candidates like Russia, Cuba and Saudi Arabia applying, which are authoritarian to varying degrees and do not hold high standards of in the promotion of human rights themselves in their domestic and foreign policies, it is likely France will be elected over such countries.

[38] France has been a key stakeholder in recent calls for UN reform to make the organization more efficient and more representative of the current world order which has changed immensely since the end of WWII when UN structures were established.

Germany’s argument is that having a permanent EU seat on the Security Council would enable the European bloc to speak with one, the united voice at the international platform.

Instead, just as France has been advocating for (see: § UN Reform) the addition of more permanent seats on the UNSC held by European countries would mean more collective voting power and input in important UN resolutions and debate.

Such a Europeanisation of France’s diplomatic strength in holding this UNSC seat could offset this balance into the hands of Germany and throw off this Franco-German equilibrium which is at the core of European integration and peace.