Wanted: woman for United Nations hot seat
THE United Nations (UN) kicked off the race for the next secretary-general with a letter that for the first time invites candidates to become the world’s top diplomat.
The choice of UN chief has for decades been the purview of the five permanent Security Council members — Britain, China, France, Russia and the US — in a selection process kept mostly behind closed doors.
But a UN resolution adopted by the General Assembly in September lifted some of the secrecy surrounding the process, asking candidates to present their résumés and lay out their vision for the job.
The letter sent to all 193 countries of the UN calls for “candidates to be presented with proven leadership and managerial abilities, extensive experience in international relations and strong diplomatic, communication and multilingual skills”.
Following weeks of negotiations, notably with Russia, the letter was signed by US ambassador Samantha Power, this month’s president of the Security Council, and General Assembly president Mogens Lykketoft. Russia had bristled at references to a timetable giving candidates until early next year to come forward, and was cool about suggestions that women should be strongly encouraged to apply.
The letter, which says the selection process will begin by the end of July, states that hearings can be held to allow candidates to make their pitch, although participation is not mandatory.
Mr Lykketoft said the first hearings would take place in late March and early April. The next secretary-general will take up the post on January 1 2017, replacing South Korea’s Ban Ki-moon, who held the job for two five-year terms.
Among the names being floated for the top job are two Bulgarians — UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation chief Irina Bokova and European Union budget commissioner Kristalina Georgieva — Croatian Foreign Minister Vesna Pusic, former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark, who now heads the UN Development Programme, and Chilean President Michelle Bachelet.