Overview
- Multiple German outlets reported on Saturday, May 23, 2026, that former chancellor Olaf Scholz is to head a new Nord–South Commission created under the Union–SPD coalition agreement.
- The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development says interministerial consultations are ongoing and that a cabinet decision will formalize the body with a likely convening in the second quarter of 2026.
- Reporting indicates the commission will have about 20 members drawn from the Global South and the North and will produce policy recommendations to deepen and diversify bilateral ties.
- Henrik Maihack has been named to lead the commission’s secretariat in earlier BMZ personnel postings and media reports have suggested an international deputy, with WTO chief Ngozi Okonjo‑Iweala mentioned as a possible candidate.
- The government plans an official public launch at a late‑June sustainability conference in Hamburg and officials say the commission is intended to tie development work to security and foreign‑policy aims, which could reshape Germany’s partnerships and investment priorities with Global South countries.