EASTERN EUROPE'S CLAIMS FOR U.N. CHIEF QUESTIONED EASTERN EUROPE'S CLAIMS FOR U.N. CHIEF QUESTIONED From Thalif Deen's article in IPS A Berlin Wall monument stands next to a Soviet sculpture at United Nations headquarters in New York. Credit: UN Photo/Rick Bajornas UNITED NATIONS, Apr 26 2016 (IPS) - As the campaign for a new UN Secretary-General (UNSG) gathers momentum, there is one lingering question that remains unanswered: does the now-defunct Eastern European political alliance have a legitimate claim for the job on the basis of geographical rotation? Of the nine candidates in the running, seven are from the former Eastern Europe. All previous secretaries-general have come from the four other regional groups, including Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean and Western Europe and Other States. But none from Eastern Europe, which exists as a geographical entity only within the precincts of the United Nations. After the end of the Cold War in 1990-1991, Eastern European nations joined either the European Union (EU) or the North Atlantic Organisation (NATO), or both.

These include: Bulgaria (joined the EU in 2007), Croatia (2013), Czech Republic (2004), Estonia (2004), Hungary (2004), Latvia (2004), Lithuania (2004), Poland (2004), Romania (2007), Slovakia (2004) and Slovenia (2004). And four countries awaiting membership in the EU include: Albania, Montenegro, Serbia and the former Yugolav Republic of Macedonia. Jayantha Dhanapala, a former UN Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs and a one-time candidate for the post of Secretary-General, told IPS the end of the Cold War has transformed Eastern Europe from a political and geographical entity to a purely geographical group. "Many of the East European countries are in NATO and the EU and their interests are closely linked to Western Europe - although some strains are showing in the wake of economic pressures and the recent migrant waves. He said the principle of "geographical rotation" with regard to the UNSG position is therefore less strong than the vitally important gender equality criterion.

"The appointment of a competent and qualified woman as SG is therefore essential," said Dhanapala, who lost out to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon nine years ago. Eastern Europe should rightfully be an integral part of Western European and Other States. But the geographical group continues to exist at the UN purely to claim seats, including as non-permanent members of the Security Council, under the banner of Eastern Europe, according to some diplomats. At elections for subsidiaries of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) last week, Belarus got a seat in the Statistical Commission purely on the basis of its non-existent Eastern European credentials. So did many others: Estonia in the Commission on the Status of Women; Belarus and Montenegro in the Executive of UN Women; Romania in the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and Albania and Moldova in the Executive Board of the UN Development Programme (UNDP)/ UN Population Fund (UNFPA)/UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS).

Since the creation of the UN over 70 years ago, the post of Secretary-General has been held by: Trygve Lie of Norway (1946-1953); Dag Hammarskjold of Sweden (1953-1961); U. Thant of Burma, now Myanmar (1961-1971); Kurt Waldheim of Austria (1972-1981); Javier Perez de Cuellar of Peru (1982-1991); Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt (1992-1996); Kofi Annan of Ghana (1997-2006); and Ban Ki-moon of South Korea (2007 through 2016). The nine candidates for the post of UNSG who made their presentations to delegates recently include: Dr Srgjan Kerim of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia; Ms Vesna Pusic of the Republic of Croatia; Dr Igor Luksic of Montenegro; Dr Danilo Turk of Slovenia; Ms Irina Bokova of Bulgaria; Ms Natalia Gherman of the Republic of Moldova and Vuk Jeremi?

of Serbia - all from the former Eastern Europe. The two non-Eastern Europeans who are in the running include Helen Clark of New Zealand and Antonio Guterres of Portugal, the former from a Pacific nation and the latter from Western Europe. When Clark was asked about Eastern European claims, she told reporters: "When nominations were called for from Member States, they were called for from all Member States". "Already one senior representative from outside Eastern Europe has been nominated (Guterres of Portugal). I anticipate there will be other nominations. I judge it to be an open contest and my hope is that Member States will look at what are the challenges that the Secretary-General's going to have to lead the organisation forward on and who has the best skills for that job." Currently, the strongest claims for the jobs are from women candidates. Although the UN is one of the strongest advocates of gender empowerment, only three women have so far been elected President of the General Assembly, the highest policy making body at the UN: Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit of India (1953), Angie Brooks of Liberia (1969) and Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa of Bahrain (2006).

With women comprising half the world's 7.2 billion people, the move to install a woman is perhaps the most legitimate of the claims. James Paul, a former executive director of the New York-based Global Policy Forum who monitored the politics of the UN for nearly 19 years, told IPS there is the important question of whether a woman will finally be chosen for the post and the secondary issue of whether the East European bloc will be represented. As for the longstanding complaints about secrecy, the recently-announced "open process" and "dialogues" with candidates, provide a small step forward in what has always been an outrageously secretive procedure, he said. "But predictably little attention is directed at the biggest issue of all - a selection still based on the will of a small oligarchic group." This year, as in the past, the Secretary General will effectively be chosen by the "P-5," the five Permanent Members of the UN Security Council (the US, UK, France, China and Russia), Paul pointed out. "As in previous years, there will be little reference to the will of all the other countries, the concerns of the world's people or the pressing leadership needs of the organisation.

Polite conversation in the General Assembly will not stop the P-5 juggernaut," he argued. "The P-5, with Washington always in the lead, has a record of choosing weak and compliant candidates for this post - people who will reliably cater to the interests of the powerful and agree to a weak and relatively inactive UN," said Paul, an onetime writer and consultant on several projects with Human Rights Watch, Oxford University Press and Physicians for Human Rights. The selections of Secretary General in 2006 and 2011 showed clearly that strong and dynamic candidates are set aside, that poor performance in the job is no barrier to re-election, and that the overwhelming majority of member states - even those sitting on the Security Council - have almost no influence over the outcome, he declared. "Could this despotic arrangement be changed in favour of a more democratic process and a far better end-result?," he asked. Paul said no small-scale, incremental reforms will do. Excluded governments and ignored citizens will have to say "no" in this round and again five years from now. "The public is increasingly fed up with those who govern.

The P-5 will not be able to continue their despotism forever." But in the meanwhile, can the UN survive as the climate clock ticks towards midnight?, asked Paul. Samir Sanbar, a former UN Assistant Secretary-General who headed the Department of Public Information (DPI) told IPS the Eastern European Group was initially a political alliance supporting the former Soviet Union balancing Western Europe and Other States. While political lines were scrambled with the fall of the Berlin Wall, it seemed politically expedient to interpret it geographically mainly for balancing purposes, he added. "Some would push the boundaries around to interpret it in general European terms," he noted. Geographical rotation was obviously not essential in electing two Scandinavians successively (Trygve Lee and Hammarskjold), he pointed out. And a third European, an Irish General Assembly President, was in line when an Asian, U Thant became a surprise candidate, by a practical consensus, initially as "acting" UNSG, said Sanbar who served under five different UN secretaries-general. When U Thant refused a second term "as a glorified clerk" it was not extended to another Asian. Instead Kurt Waldheim of Austria was elected.

While African diplomats presented Salim Salim of Tanzania to succeed him on geographical grounds, a Latin American Javier Perez de Cuellar was elected in a last minute vote in 1982. As long as geographical groupings remain, however nominally, Eastern European candidates would naturally stake an obvious claim, said Sanbar. But qualified women from anywhere in the European continent would have a more credible claim, he declared. Secretary General | United Nations Blog United Nations Blog Updates from the social media team Main menu by Social Media Team 2016 will see the selection of a new Secretary-General of the United Nations, as Ban Ki-moon’s second term ends on 31 December 2016. Even though there is no limit to the number of terms a Secretary-General may serve, none has held office for more than two terms. But how does it all work? We explain the appointment process here: 1. How is the Secretary-General selected? According to article 97 of the UN Charter , “The Secretary-General shall be appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council.” This rather general description has been further specified by a range of General Assembly resolutions and the Security Council Rules of Procedure.

So this is what happens: Nominations There is no detailed outline for the nomination process. All UN Member States are encouraged to engage and the President of the Security Council is supposed to consult with the General Assembly on a regular basis. Furthermore, the President of the General Assembly has the right to consult with Member States and recommend potential candidates to the Security Council . Nominations have traditionally been made mostly my Member States though there is no rule governing who can make a nomination. As for the timeframe, the candidate should ideally be appointed one month prior to the end of the current term (General Assembly resolutions 51/241 from 1997 and A/Res/60/286). Security Council United Nations Security Council (file photo). UN Photo/Rick Bajornas In the first stage of a two-step process, the Security Council adopts a resolution recommending a candidate to the General Assembly. Even though technically there is no limit to the number of recommendations, it has been practice to nominate one candidate only (in line with GA resolution 11 (I) of 1946). If more than one candidate is being considered, balloting will be conducted.

The negotiations take place in closed session, as outlined in Rule 48 of the Provisional Rules of Procedure of the Security Council. The decision requires at least nine votes in favour, including those of the 5 Permanent Members . Therefore, China, France, Russia, the UK and the US have a de-facto veto power (confirmed by GA resolution 11 (I) of 1946). General Assembly United Nations General Assembly (file photo). UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe In a second step, the General Assembly considers the candidate nominated by the Security Council and votes upon him or her. This deliberation also takes place in a closed session, as required by Rule 141 of the Rules of Procedure of the General Assembly . The nominee requires a simple majority to be selected. 2. Who were the previous Secretaries-General?

Trygve Lie (Norway), February 1946 to his resignation in November 1952 Dag Hammarskjöld (Sweden), April 1953 to his death in a plane crash in September 1961 U Thant (Burma/Myanmar), November 1961 to December 1971 Kurt Waldheim (Austria), January 1972 to December 1981 Javier Pérez de Cuéllar (Peru), January 1982 to December 1991 Boutros Boutros-Ghali (Egypt), January 1992 to December 1996 Kofi Annan (Ghana), January 1997 to December 2006 3. Who will be the next Secretary-General? Obviously, nobody knows yet. However, there are some indicators: General Assembly resolution 51/241 from 1997 stressed the importance of regional and gender balance. Since Eastern Europe is the only UN regional group that from which a Secretary-General has not been selected, resulting in speculation that a candidate from this region might have higher chances.

Furthermore, all eight Secretaries-General in the Organization’s 70-year history have been men, and many are calling for a female nominee, with several campaigns for a woman Secretary-General having formed around the 2016 election process. 4. Fun Fact The Security Council uses color-coded straw ballots to vote on the candidates. This practice was established by the “ Wisnumurti Guidelines “, proposed in 1996 by then UN Permanent Representative from Indonesia, H.E. Ambassador Nugroho Wisnumurti. by Social Media Team When a reporter in Geneva asked UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon if he will be supporting his home country, the Republic of Korea, during the World Cup, he responded: “This is a very delicate and sensitive question for me! I’ve been asked this question in fact previously. I may not hide my own sentiment and support for the Korean team but as Secretary-General it would be very important that I need to be impartial. I’m supporting all the teams who are participating in the World Cup! “But you should know, at the same time, that when the Korean team is competing with any other team, starting from Russia today, you may expect that my heart may beat much faster than in normal time.

“Just to keep my neutrality I decided not to watch the game, and I will get the report from my staff early tomorrow morning. That may really help my own way of engaging hectic programmes starting from tomorrow. “Again I wish all the best to all the teams. “Sport has an extraordinary power to spontaneously unite the people. That is why I’m going to have a very close collaboration with the IOC and FIFA and that is why I have been participating in the Olympic Games and FIFA; “I’ve been participating in two Olympic Games’ opening ceremonies and also two FIFA World Cups. “I have appointed a Special Advisor for Sports, Peace and Development , and we have signed for the first time a Memorandum of Understanding with IOC . “And for the first time the United Nations General Assembly has designated April 6 of every year as International Sports Day for Peace and Development .

This is one of the very important powerful tools and means to promote reconciliation, harmony and development and peace.” You can read his full remarks online and watch this related video: Additional information Eastern Europe’s Claims for UN Chief Questioned — Global Issues Eastern Europe’s Claims for UN Chief Questioned Eastern Europe’s Claims for UN Chief Questioned by Thalif Deen (united nations) Tuesday, April 26, 2016 Inter Press Service As the campaign for a new UN Secretary-General (UNSG) gathers momentum, there is one lingering question that remains unanswered: does the now-defunct Eastern European political alliance have a legitimate claim for the job on the basis of geographical rotation? Of the nine candidates in the running, seven are from the former Eastern Europe. All previous secretaries-general have come from the four other regional groups, including Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean and Western Europe and Other States. But none from Eastern Europe, which exists as a geographical entity only within the precincts of the United Nations. After the end of the Cold War in 1990-1991, Eastern European nations joined either the European Union (EU) or the North Atlantic Organisation (NATO), or both.

These include: Bulgaria (joined the EU in 2007), Croatia (2013), Czech Republic (2004), Estonia (2004), Hungary (2004),Latvia (2004), Lithuania (2004),Poland (2004), Romania (2007), Slovakia (2004) and Slovenia (2004). And four countries awaiting membership in the EU include: Albania, Montenegro, Serbia and the former Yugolav Republic of Macedonia. Jayantha Dhanapala, a former UN Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs and a one-time candidate for the post of Secretary-General, told IPS the end of the Cold War has transformed Eastern Europe from a political and geographical entity to a purely geographical group. "Many of the East European countries are in NATO and the EU and their interests are closely linked to Western Europe - although some strains are showing in the wake of economic pressures and the recent migrant waves. He said the principle of "geographical rotation" with regard to the UNSG position is therefore less strong than the vitally important gender equality criterion.

, who lost out to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon nine years ago. Eastern Europe should rightfully be an integral part of Western European and Other States. But the geographical group continues to exist at the UN purely to claim seats, including as non-permanent members of the Security Council, under the banner of Eastern Europe, according to some diplomats. At elections for subsidiaries of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) last week, Belarus got a seat in the Statistical Commission purely on the basis of its non-existent Eastern European credentials. So did many others: Estonia in the Commission on the Status of Women; Belarus and Montenegro in the Executive of UN Women; Romania in the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and Albania and Moldova in the Executive Board of the UN Development Programme (UNDP)/ UN Population Fund (UNFPA)/UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS). Since the creation of the UN over 70 years ago, the post of Secretary-General has been held by: Trygve Lie of Norway (1946-1953); Dag Hammarskjold of Sweden (1953-1961); U.

Thant of Burma, now Myanmar (1961-1971); Kurt Waldheim of Austria (1972-1981); Javier Perez de Cuellar of Peru (1982-1991); Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt (1992-1996); Kofi Annan of Ghana (1997-2006); and Ban Ki-moon of South Korea (2007 through 2016). The nine candidates for the post of UNSG who made their presentations to delegates recently include: Dr Srgjan Kerim of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia; Ms Vesna Pusic of the Republic of Croatia; Dr Igor Luksic of Montenegro; Dr Danilo Turk of Slovenia; Ms Irina Bokova of Bulgaria; Ms Natalia Gherman of the Republic of Moldova and Vuk Jeremić of Serbia – all from the former Eastern Europe. The two non-Eastern Europeans who are in the running include Helen Clark of New Zealand and Antonio Guterres of Portugal, the former from a Pacific nation and the latter from Western Europe.

When Clark was asked about Eastern European claims, she told reporters: "When nominations were called for from Member States, they were called for from all Member States". "Already one senior representative from outside Eastern Europe has been nominated (Guterres of Portugal). I anticipate there will be other nominations. I judge it to be an open contest and my hope is that Member States will look at what are the challenges that the Secretary-General's going to have to lead the organisation forward on and who has the best skills for that job." Currently, the strongest claims for the jobs are from women candidates. Although the UN is one of the strongest advocates of gender empowerment, only three women have so far been elected President of the General Assembly, the highest policy making body at the UN: Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit of India (1953), Angie Brooks of Liberia (1969) and Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa of Bahrain (2006). With women comprising half the world's 7.2 billion people, the move to install a woman is perhaps the most legitimate of the claims.

James Paul, a former executive director of the New York-based Global Policy Forum who monitored the politics of the UN for nearly 19 years, told IPS there is the important question of whether a woman will finally be chosen for the post and the secondary issue of whether the East European bloc will be represented. As for the longstanding complaints about secrecy, the recently-announced "open process" and "dialogues" with candidates, provide a small step forward in what has always been an outrageously secretive procedure, he said. "But predictably little attention is directed at the biggest issue of all – a selection still based on the will of a small oligarchic group." This year, as in the past, the Secretary General will effectively be chosen by the "P-5," the five Permanent Members of the UN Security Council (the US, UK, France, China and Russia), Paul pointed out. "As in previous years, there will be little reference to the will of all the other countries, the concerns of the world's people or the pressing leadership needs of the organisation. Polite conversation in the General Assembly will not stop the P-5 juggernaut," he argued.

"The P-5, with Washington always in the lead, has a record of choosing weak and compliant candidates for this post – people who will reliably cater to the interests of the powerful and agree to a weak and relatively inactive UN," said Paul, an onetime writer and consultant on several projects with Human Rights Watch, Oxford University Press and Physicians for Human Rights. The selections of Secretary General in 2006 and 2011 showed clearly that strong and dynamic candidates are set aside, that poor performance in the job is no barrier to re-election, and that the overwhelming majority of member states – even those sitting on the Security Council – have almost no influence over the outcome, he declared. "Could this despotic arrangement be changed in favour of a more democratic process and a far better end-result?," he asked. Paul said no small-scale, incremental reforms will do. Excluded governments and ignored citizens will have to say "no" in this round and again five years from now. "The public is increasingly fed up with those who govern. The P-5 will not be able to continue their despotism forever." But in the meanwhile, can the UN survive as the climate clock ticks towards midnight?, asked Paul.

Samir Sanbar, a former UN Assistant Secretary-General who headed the Department of Public Information (DPI) told IPS the Eastern European Group was initially a political alliance supporting the former Soviet Union balancing Western Europe and Other States. While political lines were scrambled with the fall of the Berlin Wall, it seemed politically expedient to interpret it geographically mainly for balancing purposes, he added. "Some would push the boundaries around to interpret it in general European terms," he noted. Geographical rotation was obviously not essential in electing two Scandinavians successively (Trygve Lee and Hammarskjold), he pointed out. And a third European, an Irish General Assembly President, was in line when an Asian, U Thant became a surprise candidate, by a practical consensus, initially as "acting" UNSG, said Sanbar who served under five different UN secretaries-general. When U Thant refused a second term "as a glorified clerk" it was not extended to another Asian. Instead Kurt Waldheim of Austria was elected. While African diplomats presented Salim Salim of Tanzania to succeed him on geographical grounds, a Latin American Javier Perez de Cuellar was elected in a last minute vote in 1982.

As long as geographical groupings remain, however nominally, Eastern European candidates would naturally stake an obvious claim, said Sanbar. But qualified women from anywhere in the European continent would have a more credible claim, he declared. The writer can be contacted at thalifdeen@aol.com © Inter Press Service (2016) — All Rights Reserved Secretary-General Watch - UN Watch Secretary-General Watch Choosing Kofi Annan’s Successor Oct. 19, 2006 On October 13, 2006, Ban Ki-moon of South Korea was chosen to be the eighth UN Secretary-General. His five-year term will begin on January 1, 2007. For background on the selection process, see below. Secretary-General designate Ban Ki-moon Procedure The Secretary-General is appointed “by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council” (UN Charter, Article 97). Pursuant to a 1946 General Assembly resolution, the Security Council recommends one candidate. The General Assembly has always approved that candidate. This means that choice effectively rests with the Security Council.

To win the approval of the 15-member Council, a candidate must receive 9 votes, and must not be vetoed by any of the five permanent members (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States). The non-permanent Security Council members this year are: Argentina, Congo, Denmark, Ghana, Greece, Japan, Peru, Qatar, Slovakia, and Tanzania. Standards A 1997 General Assembly resolution says that, in selecting the Secretary-General, “due regard” should be given to regional rotation and gender equality. The UN’s Secretaries-General have come from the following regions: 3 from Western Europe, 2 from Africa, 1 from Latin America, 1 from Asia. There has not yet been a Secretary-General from Eastern Europe (which is a recognized UN regional group). There has not yet been a female UN Secretary-General. <align=”right”>Indian UN Under Secretary-General Shashi Tharoor The UN’s African group has held the Secretary-General post for the past 15 years (5 years of the Egyptian Boutros Boutros-Ghali and 10 years of the Ghanaian Kofi Annan).

The expectation was that this time, it was the Asian group’s turn. The last (and only) Asian to hold the post was U Thant of Burma, whose term ended 35 years ago. Why another Asian when the Eastern European group has not yet had a Secretary-General? The reason is UN politics: The African and Asian groups agreed that it was Asia’s turn—and they, together, hold a majority of General Assembly seats (107 out of 192 members), and China holds a Security Council veto. There is an unwritten rule that the Secretary-General should not come from one of the five countries that hold permanent Security Council seats. The UN’s past Secretaries-General are: Name Thai Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai Timetable There is no required timetable for the appointment, although a 1997 General Assembly resolution calls for it to be “as early as possible” and preferably no later than 1 month before the expiration of the current term. There also is no deadline for nominating candidates, so new contenders could come into the process at any time.

Candidates By mid-September 2006, there were seven official candidates to succeed Annan, 6 from Asia and 1 from Eastern Europe. “Official” means that a UN member state submitted the candidate’s name, in writing, to the Presidents of the General Assembly and Security Council. The seven official candidates were: Name Choosing Kofi Annan's Successor - UN Watch On October 13, 2006, Ban Ki-moon of South Korea was chosen to be the eighth UN Secretary-General. His five-year term will begin on January 1, 2007. For background on the selection process, see below. Secretary-General designate Ban Ki-moon Procedure The Secretary-General is appointed “by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council” (UN Charter, Article 97). Pursuant to a 1946 General Assembly resolution, the Security Council recommends one candidate. The General Assembly has always approved that candidate. This means that choice effectively rests with the Security Council.

To win the approval of the 15-member Council, a candidate must receive 9 votes, and must not be vetoed by any of the five permanent members (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States). The non-permanent Security Council members this year are: Argentina, Congo, Denmark, Ghana, Greece, Japan, Peru, Qatar, Slovakia, and Tanzania. Standards A 1997 General Assembly resolution says that, in selecting the Secretary-General, “due regard” should be given to regional rotation and gender equality. The UN’s Secretaries-General have come from the following regions: 3 from Western Europe, 2 from Africa, 1 from Latin America, 1 from Asia. There has not yet been a Secretary-General from Eastern Europe (which is a recognized UN regional group). There has not yet been a female UN Secretary-General. <align=”right”>Indian UN Under Secretary-General Shashi Tharoor The UN’s African group has held the Secretary-General post for the past 15 years (5 years of the Egyptian Boutros Boutros-Ghali and 10 years of the Ghanaian Kofi Annan).

The expectation was that this time, it was the Asian group’s turn. The last (and only) Asian to hold the post was U Thant of Burma, whose term ended 35 years ago. Why another Asian when the Eastern European group has not yet had a Secretary-General? The reason is UN politics: The African and Asian groups agreed that it was Asia’s turn—and they, together, hold a majority of General Assembly seats (107 out of 192 members), and China holds a Security Council veto. There is an unwritten rule that the Secretary-General should not come from one of the five countries that hold permanent Security Council seats. The UN’s past Secretaries-General are: Name Thai Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai Timetable There is no required timetable for the appointment, although a 1997 General Assembly resolution calls for it to be “as early as possible” and preferably no later than 1 month before the expiration of the current term. There also is no deadline for nominating candidates, so new contenders could come into the process at any time.

Candidates By mid-September 2006, there were seven official candidates to succeed Annan, 6 from Asia and 1 from Eastern Europe. “Official” means that a UN member state submitted the candidate’s name, in writing, to the Presidents of the General Assembly and Security Council. The seven official candidates were: Name Viewpoints - Discord Expected Over Kofi Annan's Successor - Worldpress.org United Nations: Discord Expected Over Kofi Annan's Successor Worldpress.org March 2, 2006 United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan in SÃ£o Paulo, Brazil. (Photo: Rose Brasil - Abr) The search for a successor to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan promises to create differences within the U.N. Security Council. Russia and China back the customary procedure of rotating the post among the world's regions, while the U.S. and Britain are questioning the need to do so. Annan will step down from his position as secretary-general when his second five-year term ends on Dec. 31. Since the United Nations was established in Oct.

1945, the post of secretary-general has been held by Trygve Lie of Norway (1946-1953); Dag Hammarskjold of Sweden (1953-1961); U Thant of Burma (1961-1971); Kurt Waldheim of Austria (1972-1981); Javier Perez de Cuellar of Peru (1982-1991); and Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt (1992-1996). Annan, who is from Ghana, has served since January 1997. The list of candidates widely discussed in the international press include: Aleksander Kwasniewski, former Polish president; Vaira Vike-Freiberga, Latvian president; Kemal Dervis, Turkey, currently head of the U.N. Development Program; Surakiart Sathirathai, Thailand's deputy prime minister; Shashi Tharoor, India, U.N.

undersecretary-general for Communications and Public Information and an award-winning journalist/novelist; Ban Ki Moon, South Korea's foreign minister; Jose Ramos-Horta, foreign minister of East Timor and a 1996 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate; Jayantha Dhanapala, Sri Lanka, served as U.N. undersecretary general for disarmament and as ambassador to the United States; Goh Chok Tong, former prime minister of Singapore; and Prince Zeid Ra'ad Zeid Al-Hussein, Jordanian ambassador to the U.N. The list is not exhaustive and the selection of a dark-horse candidate cannot be discounted. Calls For a Woman as Secretary-General The London Times (Jan. 4) reported, "Since 1945, the world's top diplomatic job has been held by three Europeans, two Africans, one Latin American, but no women. Kofi Annan is due to step down as U.N. secretary-general at the end of the year, or even earlier, and women's groups have begun lobbying for a woman to succeed him. Their campaign has taken on new urgency with the recent announcement that Mr.

Annan's deputy, Louise FrÃ©chette, appointed in 1998 partly because she was a woman, will leave in April to return to her native Canada. 'Starting with the Charter of the U.N., it has always been among their goals to reach gender parity,' Taina Bien-Aime of the women's rights group Equality Now, which is leading the effort, said." According to Thailand's Asian Tribune (Feb. 23): "While there has been no woman appointed as the secretary-general since the inception of the U.N., there has been no one from Eastern Europe either. It is on that basis that the names of two former presidents from Eastern Europe, Vaira Vike-Freiberga from Latvia (woman) and Aleksander Kwasniewski (Poland), were strongly suggested. While both were considered extremely capable, Vike-Freiberga had another advantage being a woman. Nevertheless, Russia naturally had strong opposition to have someone from her former 'vassal states;' China expressing displeasure over a candidate coming from outside the Asian region." Selection Based on Merit, Not Geography? The BBC (Feb.

14) reported, "Analysts say there is much support for an Asian leader among U.N. member states, in line with an informal tradition that rotates the role on a geographical basis. But Washington's U.N. ambassador John Bolton said last month that Kofi Annan's successor should be selected on merit alone." The Asian Tribune (Feb. 19) elaborated on Bolton's disagreement with the tradition: "The United States Ambassador for the United Nations John Bolton is well aware that so far the announced candidates for the U.N. secretary-general position are all from the Asian region and that three permanent members out of five in the Security Council have already declared that it is Asia's turn to lead the United Nations. The United States disagrees with them. Instead, Ambassador Bolton has started laying down guidelines as to who should be the next secretary-general when the incumbent Kofi Annan completes his term at the end of this year. Bolton does not agree that the post should rotate by geographic region, but Asian and African nations, who represent the majority of the 191 U.N. member states, believe it is Asia's turn this time." Australia's The Advertiser (Feb. 18) reported along the same lines: "Mr.

Bolton reiterated strong U.S. opposition to the principle of geographic rotation, a view backed by Britain." According to The London Times (Jan. 4), "Britain and the U.S. are skeptical of a 'buggins's turn' system that would award the job to an Asian simply because of geographical rotation. Both powers hold a veto on the selection through their permanent membership of the 15-nation Security Council. But it is unlikely that the two allies can muster the votes to block a qualified Asian winning in the 191-member General Assembly, which must confirm the Security Council 's choice." The Irish Examiner (Feb. 18) reported, "Britain is thought to favor a European candidate. Former Polish president Aleksander Kwasniewski is heavily touted while Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga and British leader Tony Blair have also been mentioned." China Backs an Asian Candidate On May 31, 2005 Pakistan's Dawn reported, "China, a veto-wielding permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, recently announced its intention to back an Asian candidate for the job but didn't name names.

Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar said last week that China has expressed its 'possible willingness' to support former U.N. undersecretary-general for Disarmament Affairs Jayantha Dhanapala of Sri Lanka. 'China has written to us saying that our candidate will be seriously considered,' he said. Asia has not had a secretary-general for nearly 34 years, since Burma's U Thant. But Eastern Europeans with covert backing from the United States appear poised to challenge Asian claims to the job. U.S. President George W. Bush 'might prefer Annan's replacement to come from a region seen as more sympathetic to U.S. interests: Eastern Europe,' according to Newsweek magazine." Iran Daily (Nov. 22, 2005) announced: "China wants an Asian to succeed Kofi Annan as U.N. secretary-general when his term runs out next year. Declared candidates to date include Thai Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai, currently visiting Beijing, and Sri Lankan peace negotiator Jayantha Dhanapala.

'Asian people haven't taken the important post for 34 years and Asia is the most populous continent,' foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told a news conference, referring to U Thant of Burma, now Myanmar, who served from 1961 until 1971." India's Zee News (Feb. 9) reported that the Chinese government felt that, "An Asian could assume the position of the next U.N. Secretary General if nations in the region reach a 'consensus' through 'friendly consultations' on the candidature. According to Radio Australia (Feb. 28) a prominent diplomat has expressed a dissenting opinion on an Asian taking the reigns at the U.N.: "Australia's ambassador at the U.N. over the past four years believes that Asia's candidates for the position are 'not traveling well,' as he diplomatically puts it. John Dauth says that despite the so-called 'rotation principle,' questions about the quality of some of the candidates could see the secretary-general's position slip from Asia's grasp." Proposed Selection Process Changes Radio Free Europe (Feb.

21) had this to report about the selection process: "there is an unwritten agreement that the secretary-general will not be a national of any of the five veto-holding permanent members of the council â China, France, Russia, Great Britain, and the United States. So far, this informal rule has held. And some U.N. diplomats express regret behind the scenes that because of it, former U.S. President Bill Clinton probably is not eligible to head the world body." On Feb. 15 the Canadian Permanent Mission to the U.N. suggested that the process should become more 'open,' in an informal proposal: "The existing selection process for the post of secretary-general of the United Nations has produced several distinguished secretaries-general. But the lack of transparency and inclusiveness of the exercise has become increasingly noticeable, and the U.N. process compares poorly with the practices of some other international organizations â¦ At a time when member states are discussing the reform and renewal of so many aspects of the U.N., it seems entirely appropriate that we should critically examine the way in which we choose the person who will serve as the organization's leader." The Angola Press (Feb.

16), reporting on the Canadian proposal to reform the selection process, informed: "No list of qualifications is agreed, no formal screening takes place, and the U.N. membership is asked to declare itself on the nominated candidate without the benefit of relevant information or even informal consultations. The candidate's vision for the U.N.'s future and program of action for the U.N. Secretariat remain unexamined, and there is no established way for the member states to develop a sense of the candidate's skills in key areas like communication and political leadership." The Canadian proposal further suggested that: "roundtables or public briefings be organized in the next few months to allow candidates to introduce themselves to U.N. member states and explain their vision on the U.N. post and the U.N. role in the years ahead." According to Thailand's MCOT news agency (Feb. 16), heads of state have become personally involved in politicking for the U.N.

secretary-general position: "Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra revealed that he would personally seek a support from French President Jacques Chirac, who is due to pay a state visit to Thailand, for Deputy Prime Minister Surakiate Sathirathai's bid for the next United Nation's secretary-general." Professor Laksiri Fernando, writing in the Asian Tribune (Feb. 23) said, "To make the long story short, what is required at the moment is a capable secretary-general for an effective U.N. A comprehensive reform of the U.N. is underway. It might not come in one stroke given power politics at the highest levels. It can go in a few stages without dragging on for too long. The role of the U.N. is quite crucial in the coming few years in issues such as nuclear non-proliferation, anti-terrorism, environmental protection, human rights, conflict resolution and in strengthening democracy. The new secretary-general could be someone in-between, who comes with supple political and managerial skills and paves the way for a strong managerial office. By the time he or she leaves, the U.N. should be different." Web-Exclusive Alert Africa: Politics: Race for Next U.N.

Chief Sparks Lively Debate - allAfrica.com Africa: Politics: Race for Next U.N. Chief Sparks Lively Debate analysis By Thalif Deen United Nations — Almost 23 months before a new secretary-general takes office at the United Nations, there is already a vibrant debate on who should succeed incumbent Kofi Annan when he completes his second five-year term in Dec. 2006. "The selection of the secretary-general is always important -- as much for what the selection process says about the state of multilateralism and how major powers see the potential for the United Nations, as for who ends up getting selected," says Phyllis Bennis, a fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies. Don Kraus, executive director of the Campaign for U.N. Reform, told IPS that the United States, like any permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, "should be more concerned about ensuring that whoever follows in the footsteps of the current secretary-general is able to command the trust and respect that this position requires." So far, there are two declared candidates for the job -- both with strong backing from their respective governments: Thai Foreign Minister Surakiat Sathirathai, who is relatively unknown and untested, and former U.N.

Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs Jayantha Dhanapala of Sri Lanka, who has worked the U.N. system for over 10 years. Since Asia hasn't had a secretary-general for nearly 34 years, since Burma's U. Thant, Asian countries believe that one of their own should be elected as chief administrative officer of the world body when the final decision is made next year. The post was previously held by Trygve Lie of Norway (1946-1953); Dag Hammarskjold of Sweden (1953-1961); U. Thant of Burma (1961-1971); Kurt Waldheim of Austria (1972-1981); Javier Perez de Cuellar of Peru (1982-1991); and Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt (1992-1996). Annan, who is from Ghana, has been serving as U.N. chief since Jan. 1997.

Asked whether geography or competency should play a role in the selection of a secretary-general, Neuer told IPS: "Good candidates from any geographical group should be considered on their merits. The secretary-general's job is simply too important for the world to slavishly defer to a rigid rotational system." But Bennis says she has her reservations on the issue of geography versus competency. "The notion that 'the best man or woman' should get the job, ignoring regional considerations, is an ideal, but one unlikely to be reflected in the real world," she told IPS. The secretary-general has an enormous set of conflicting tasks, the most important of which is to shape the U.N.'s role in challenging the threats of war, often by the most powerful countries, including the United States, she added. Given the disparities of power and interest in the organisation, the willingness to make opposition to such war threats the centerpiece of U.N. policy should be the most important criteria for the secretary-general, wherever she or he may come from.

"But given the realities of that same power, finding that individual may be difficult, but getting her or him approved by the United States and its veto-wielding allies is likely to be virtually impossible," said Bennis, author of 'Calling the Shots: How Washington Dominates Today's U.N.' The debate over the next secretary-general also comes at a time when the United Nations is at a crossroad -- perhaps its "moment of truth" -- facing charges of waste and mismanagement over the U.N.'s oil-for-food programme in Iraq and over its failure to resolve some of the ongoing crises in Africa. "We face a paradox," says Neuer, "because never before has the United Nations been more needed. We have genocide in Sudan, upcoming elections in Iraq, the global terror threat of Al Qaida bombs and Hezbollah satellite TV, yet never before has the United Nations seemed more irrelevant." "We had the failure to condemn Sudan at the U.N. Commission on Human Rights in April, and then again last month at the General Assembly -- and all of this during the 10th anniversary of the U.N.s failure to intervene in the Rwanda genocide. The oil-for-food scandal that continues to burn. And so on," he pointed out.

Meanwhile, the United Nations is also debating a key report on U.N. reform -- prepared by a high-level panel of experts -- on how best to restructure the world body to meet the needs of the 21st century. "So the next U.N. secretary-general will inherit monumental challenges, and it's a tall order, indeed. What the world needs is a secretary-general with experience who can command global respect. Most importantly, he or she must be of great stature and moral character, willing and able to show leadership in navigating the decade ahead. A person with vision," Neuer said. Neuer said the Bush administration will examine the person and also, especially as both candidates are closely tied to their capitals, the sponsoring country. One U.S. official, he pointed out, has already been quoted as saying there was no way Washington would support Surakiat because Thailand is perceived as "a Chinese stooge". Though Thailand did send troops to Afghanistan and Iraq, the Thais made a point of disassociating themselves from Washington, asserting that the troops were being sent strictly under a U.N. mandate and for humanitarian assistance, he added.

Kraus said that it is vital for the United States to support Annan in his attempts to pursue the reform agenda and move into the 21st century. "Without the necessary structural changes required, the United Nations will not be able to meet the security needs of its members, regardless of who is selected as the next secretary-general," he warned. The next U.N. chief, he said, must continue a process that addresses global poverty, rampant terrorism and growing nuclear proliferation. Bennis noted that it is a well-documented fact that every U.S. administration has played a major role in imposing the candidate of its choice on the United Nations. She pointed out that the first Bush administration supported Boutros-Ghali, believing that the close U.S. ties to Egypt would insure a malleable secretary-general. Several years later, when U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Madeleine Albright was lobbying to become secretary of state in (U.S. President Bill) Clinton's second term, she launched a hardball campaign against the prickly Boutros-Ghali -- who had, it should be noted, carried out virtually every "reform" demanded by Washington despite his tendency to talk back while doing so, Bennis said.

Annan was anointed by the White House, and became secretary-general with the fear of many that he would be Washington's man. "As it turned out, his tenure turned out to be more independent than many expected -- somewhat the opposite from Boutros-Ghali. Annan was courtly and diplomatic with his and the U.N.'s worst enemies on Capitol Hill even while challenging much of their unilateralist tendencies," Bennis added. Neuer said that if it is Asia's turn for the next secretary-general it should perhaps consider gender-equality as well: "Why not choose (Burma's 1991) Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi?" (who has been under virtual house arrest under the Burmese military regime). "Whatever she lacks in experience is more than compensated by her moral courage. Repressive Myanmar (Burma) would never sponsor Aung San Suu Kyi, but what is to stop a neighbouring state from doing so? We need to start thinking out of the box," Neuer added. Copyright © 2005 Inter Press Service. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media ( allAfrica.com ).

To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here. AllAfrica publishes around 800 reports a day from more than 140 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals , representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica . To address comments or complaints, please Contact us . Secretary-General of the United Nations - 必应 Sign in Secretary-General of the United Nations The Secretary-General of the United Nations (UNSG) is the head of the United Nations Secretariat , one of the principal organs of the United Nations. The Secretary-General also acts as the de facto spokesperson and leader of the United Nations. The current Secretary-General is Ban Ki-moon of South Korea, who took office on 1 January 2007. His first term expired on 31 December 2011.

He was re-elected, unopposed, to a second term on 21 June 2011. His successor will be appointed by the General Assembly in 2016. 关于Secretary-General of the United Nations，网友们最关心的问题 1 翻译 Secretary-General of the United Nations 英文解英文 答 His first term will expire on December 31, 2007.The current Secretary-General is Ban Ki-moon of South Korea who took office on January 1The Secretary-General of the United Nations is t... 解释一下Kofi A. Annan的工作Secretary-General of the United Nations，中英文都要 答 Secretary-General of the United Nations Role The Secretary-General was envisioned by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt as a "world moderator", but the vague definition provided by the UN Charter left much room for interpretation by those who would later inhabit the position. According to the UN website, their roles are further defined as "diplomat and advocate, civil servant, and CEO". Nevertheless, this more abstract description has not prevented the office holders from speaking out and playing important roles on global issues to various degrees.

Article 97 under Chapter XV of the UN Charter states that the Secretary-General shall be the "chief administrative officer" of the Organization, but does not dictate their specific obligations. Responsibilities of the Secretary-General are further outlined in Articles 98 through 100, which states that they shall act as the officer "in all meetings of the General Assembly, of the Security Council, of the Economic and Social Council and the Trusteeship Council, and shall perform other functions as are entrusted to him by these organs". They are responsible, according to Article 99, for making an annual report to the General Assembly as well as notifying the Security Council on matters which "in their opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security". Other than these few guidelines, little else is dictated by the Charter. Interpretation of the Charter has varied between Secretaries-General, with some being much more active than others. The Secretary-General is highly dependent upon the support of the member states of the UN.

"The Secretary-General would fail if they did not take careful account of the concerns of Member States, but they must also uphold the values and moral authority of the United Nations, and speak and act for peace, even at the risk, from time to time, of challenging or disagreeing with those same Member States." "The personal skills of the Secretary-General and their staff are crucial to their function. The central position of the UN headquarters in the international diplomatic network is also an important asset. The Secretary-General has the right to place any dispute on the provisional agenda of the Security Council. However, they work mostly behind the scenes if the members of the council are unwilling to discuss a dispute. Most of their time is spent on good offices missions and mediation, sometimes at the request of deliberative organs of the UN, but also frequently on their own initiative. Their function may be replaced or supplemented by mediation efforts by the major powers. UN peacekeeping missions are often closely linked to mediation (peacemaking).

The recent improvement in relations between the permanent members of the Security Council (P5) has strengthened the role of the Secretary-General as the world's most reputable intermediary." Secretary-General of the United Nations Term and selection See also: United Nations Secretary-General selection, 2006 and United Nations Secretary-General selection, 2016 Secretaries General serve for five-year terms that can be renewed indefinitely, although none so far has held office for more than two terms. The United Nations Charter provides for the Secretary-General to be appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council. As a result, the selection is subject to the veto of any of the five permanent Members of the Security Council. While the appointment and approval process of the Secretary-General is outlined in the UN Charter, specific guidelines have emerged regarding the term limits and selection process. These include a limit to two five-year terms, regional (continental) rotation of the appointee's national origin, and the appointee may not be a citizen of any of the Security Council's five permanent members. The United Nations Charter mentions the Secretary-General in Chapter XV, Articles 97 to 101. Article 97 gives the General Assembly the task of appointing the Secretary General.

However, the candidate must be proposed by the Security Council. This implies that any Permanent Member of the Security Council could wield its veto in opposition of the recommendation. Most Secretaries-General are compromise candidates from middle powers and have little prior fame. Despite the Charter giving the General Assembly provisions to influence the selection process, the chosen Secretaries-General reflect that the selection process remains in the control of the P5. The Secretary-General is also the chief administrative officer of the United Nations. Article 98 further states that the Secretary-General is further tasked with supervising the operations of the Security Council, General Assembly (GA), and the Economic and Social Council and is to "perform other such functions as are entrusted to him by these organizations". In short, this gives him or her the further responsibility of presiding over the meetings of these organs of the UN. Also contained in Article 98 is the responsibility of the Secretary-General to compile annual reports concerning the UN's progress, to be presented to the General Assembly. The Secretary-General has the power to alert the GA and the Security Council of any event he or she sees as a security issue for the international system (according to Article 99).

The Secretary-General, along with the Secretariat, is given the prerogative to exhibit no allegiance to any state but to only the United Nations organization: decisions must be made without regard to the state of origin. In the early 1960s, Soviet First Secretary Nikita Khrushchev led an effort to abolish the Secretary-General position. The numerical superiority of the Western powers combined with the one state, one vote system meant that the Secretary-General would come from one of them, and would potentially be sympathetic towards the West. Khrushchev proposed to replace the Secretary-General with a three-person leading council (a "troika"): one member from the West, one from the Eastern Bloc, and one from the Non-Aligned powers. This idea failed because the neutral powers failed to back the Soviet proposal. The Security Council and General Assembly have taken steps to towards making the selection process more transparent and open in 2016 and has sent a letter to member states asking them to nominated candidates for the position. In practice, previous secretaries-general were chosen behind closed doors by the Security Council and then had their names submitted to General Assembly for ratification. No candidate has ever been rejected by the General Assembly.

General Assembly president Mogens Lykketoft intends to hold public meetings in early 2016 where general assembly members can question candidates for the position and advocates the General Assembly selecting a candidate. ^ "Ban Ki-moon wins second-term as UN Secretary General". BBC News. 21 June 2011. ^ UN Charter ^ a b "Role of the Secretary-General", The United Nations, Accessed 2 February 2012. ^ See Simon Chesterman (ed), Secretary or General? The UN Secretary-General in World Politics (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007). ^ ^ Teltsch, Kathleen. "Town House Offered to UN", New York Times, 15 July 1972. Accessed 27 December 2007. ^ "Secretary-General Appointment Process". United Nations. ^ "Kofi Annan: Job at a Glance". PBS. Educational Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved September 2014. ^ "Nikita Khrushchev: Address to the UN General Assembly, Sept. 23 1960". Fordham University.

^ "1960: Khrushchev anger erupts at UN". BBC On This Day (BBC). 29 September 1960. ^ "U.N. pledges to remove secrecy around selection process for next secretary-general". Toronto Star. December 15, 2015. Retrieved December 15, 2015. ^ Stout, David (26 October 1996). "Lord Gladwyn Is Dead at 96; Briton Helped Found the UN". New York Times. Retrieved 31 October 2008. ^ The United Nations: Trygve Haldvan Lie (Norway). Accessed 13 December 2006. ^ a b c d e f "An Historical Overview on the Selection of United Nations Secretaries-General" (PDF). UNA-USA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 October 2007. Retrieved 30 September 2007. ^ The United Nations: Dag Hammarskjöld (Sweden). Accessed 13 December 2006. ^ Linnér, S. (2007).

Dag Hammarskjöld and the Congo crisis, 1960–61. Page 28. Uppsala University. (22 July 2008). ^ United Nations: U Thant (Myanmar). Accessed 13 December 2006. ^ The United Nations: Kurt Waldheim (Austria). Accessed 13 December 2006. ^ The United Nations: Javier Pérez de Cuéllar (Peru). Accessed 13 December 2006. ^ The United Nations: Boutros Boutros-Ghali (Egypt). Accessed 13 December 2006. ^ The United Nations: The Biography of Kofi A. Annan. Accessed 13 December 2006. ^ "Kofi Annan of Ghana recommended by Security Council for appointment as Secretary-General of United Nations" (Press release). United Nations. 13 December 1996. Retrieved 12 December 2006. ^ Traub, James (2006). The Best Intentions. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. pp.66–67.

ISBN978-0-374-18220-5. ^ "General Assembly appoints Kofi Annan of Ghana as seventh Secretary-General" (Press release). United Nations. 17 December 1996. Retrieved 12 December 2006. ^ "Ban Ki-moon is sworn in as next Secretary-General of the United Nations". United Nations. ^ "Ban Ki-moon gets second term as UN chief". Globe and Mail. 22 June 2011. Eastern Europe’s Claims for UN Chief Questioned | Alternative Eastern Europe’s Claims for UN Chief Questioned Tuesday, April 26, 2016 0:26 % of readers think this story is Fact. Add your two cents. Human Wrongs Watch By Thalif Deen * UNITED NATIONS, 26 April 2016 ( IPS ) – As the campaign for a new UN Secretary-General (UNSG) gathers momentum, there is one lingering question that remains unanswered: does the now-defunct Eastern European political alliance have a legitimate claim for the job on the basis of geographical rotation?

A Berlin Wall monument stands next to a Soviet sculpture at United Nations headquarters in New York. Credit: UN Photo/Rick Bajornas Of the nine candidates in the running, seven are from the former Eastern Europe. All previous secretaries-general have come from the four other regional groups, including Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean and Western Europe and Other States. But none from Eastern Europe, which exists as a geographical entity only within the precincts of the United Nations. After the end of the Cold War in 1990-1991, Eastern European nations joined either the European Union (EU) or the North Atlantic Organisation (NATO), or both. These include: Bulgaria (joined the EU in 2007), Croatia (2013), Czech Republic (2004), Estonia (2004), Hungary (2004),Latvia (2004), Lithuania (2004),Poland (2004), Romania (2007), Slovakia (2004) and Slovenia (2004). And four countries awaiting membership in the EU include: Albania, Montenegro, Serbia and the former Yugolav Republic of Macedonia.

Jayantha Dhanapala, a former UN Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs and a one-time candidate for the post of Secretary-General, told IPS the end of the Cold War has transformed Eastern Europe from a political and geographical entity to a purely geographical group. “Many of the East European countries are in NATO and the EU and their interests are closely linked to Western Europe – although some strains are showing in the wake of economic pressures and the recent migrant waves. He said the principle of “geographical rotation” with regard to the UNSG position is therefore less strong than the vitally important gender equality criterion. “The appointment of a competent and qualified woman as SG is therefore essential,” said Dhanapala, who lost out to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon nine years ago. Eastern Europe should rightfully be an integral part of Western European and Other States. But the geographical group continues to exist at the UN purely to claim seats, including as non-permanent members of the Security Council, under the banner of Eastern Europe, according to some diplomats. At elections for subsidiaries of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) last week, Belarus got a seat in the Statistical Commission purely on the basis of its non-existent Eastern European credentials.

So did many others: Estonia in the Commission on the Status of Women; Belarus and Montenegro in the Executive of UN Women; Romania in the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and Albania and Moldova in the Executive Board of the UN Development Programme (UNDP)/ UN Population Fund (UNFPA)/UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS). Since the creation of the UN over 70 years ago, the post of Secretary-General has been held by: Trygve Lie of Norway (1946-1953); Dag Hammarskjold of Sweden (1953-1961); U. Thant of Burma, now Myanmar (1961-1971); Kurt Waldheim of Austria (1972-1981); Javier Perez de Cuellar of Peru (1982-1991); Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt (1992-1996); Kofi Annan of Ghana (1997-2006); and Ban Ki-moon of South Korea (2007 through 2016).

The nine candidates for the post of UNSG who made their presentations to delegates recently include: Dr Srgjan Kerim of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia; Ms Vesna Pusic of the Republic of Croatia; Dr Igor Luksic of Montenegro; Dr Danilo Turk of Slovenia; Ms Irina Bokova of Bulgaria; Ms Natalia Gherman of the Republic of Moldova and Vuk Jeremić of Serbia – all from the former Eastern Europe. The two non-Eastern Europeans who are in the running include Helen Clark of New Zealand and Antonio Guterres of Portugal, the former from a Pacific nation and the latter from Western Europe. When Clark was asked about Eastern European claims, she told reporters: ”When nominations were called for from Member States, they were called for from all Member States”. “Already one senior representative from outside Eastern Europe has been nominated (Guterres of Portugal). I anticipate there will be other nominations. I judge it to be an open contest and my hope is that Member States will look at what are the challenges that the Secretary-General’s going to have to lead the organisation forward on and who has the best skills for that job.” Currently, the strongest claims for the jobs are from women candidates.

Although the UN is one of the strongest advocates of gender empowerment, only three women have so far been elected President of the General Assembly, the highest policy making body at the UN: Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit of India (1953), Angie Brooks of Liberia (1969) and Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa of Bahrain (2006). With women comprising half the world’s 7.2 billion people, the move to install a woman is perhaps the most legitimate of the claims. James Paul, a former executive director of the New York-based Global Policy Forum who monitored the politics of the UN for nearly 19 years, told IPS there is the important question of whether a woman will finally be chosen for the post and the secondary issue of whether the East European bloc will be represented. As for the longstanding complaints about secrecy, the recently-announced “open process” and “dialogues” with candidates, provide a small step forward in what has always been an outrageously secretive procedure, he said.

“But predictably little attention is directed at the biggest issue of all – a selection still based on the will of a small oligarchic group.” This year, as in the past, the Secretary General will effectively be chosen by the “P-5,” the five Permanent Members of the UN Security Council (the US, UK, France, China and Russia), Paul pointed out. “As in previous years, there will be little reference to the will of all the other countries, the concerns of the world’s people or the pressing leadership needs of the organisation. Polite conversation in the General Assembly will not stop the P-5 juggernaut,” he argued. “The P-5, with Washington always in the lead, has a record of choosing weak and compliant candidates for this post – people who will reliably cater to the interests of the powerful and agree to a weak and relatively inactive UN,” said Paul, an onetime writer and consultant on several projects with Human Rights Watch, Oxford University Press and Physicians for Human Rights.

The selections of Secretary General in 2006 and 2011 showed clearly that strong and dynamic candidates are set aside, that poor performance in the job is no barrier to re-election, and that the overwhelming majority of member states – even those sitting on the Security Council – have almost no influence over the outcome, he declared. “Could this despotic arrangement be changed in favour of a more democratic process and a far better end-result?,” he asked. Paul said no small-scale, incremental reforms will do. Excluded governments and ignored citizens will have to say “no” in this round and again five years from now. “The public is increasingly fed up with those who govern. The P-5 will not be able to continue their despotism forever.” But in the meanwhile, can the UN survive as the climate clock ticks towards midnight?, asked Paul. Samir Sanbar, a former UN Assistant Secretary-General who headed the Department of Public Information (DPI) told IPS the Eastern European Group was initially a political alliance supporting the former Soviet Union balancing Western Europe and Other States. While political lines were scrambled with the fall of the Berlin Wall, it seemed politically expedient to interpret it geographically mainly for balancing purposes, he added.

“Some would push the boundaries around to interpret it in general European terms,” he noted. Geographical rotation was obviously not essential in electing two Scandinavians successively (Trygve Lee and Hammarskjold), he pointed out. And a third European, an Irish General Assembly President, was in line when an Asian, U Thant became a surprise candidate, by a practical consensus, initially as “acting” UNSG, said Sanbar who served under five different UN secretaries-general. When U Thant refused a second term “as a glorified clerk” it was not extended to another Asian. Instead Kurt Waldheim of Austria was elected. While African diplomats presented Salim Salim of Tanzania to succeed him on geographical grounds, a Latin American Javier Perez de Cuellar was elected in a last minute vote in 1982. As long as geographical groupings remain, however nominally, Eastern European candidates would naturally stake an obvious claim, said Sanbar. But qualified women from anywhere in the European continent would have a more credible claim, he declared.

Question: U Thant (Myanmar), Kurt Waldheim (Austria) and Javier Perez de Cuellar (Peru) successively held the same office; what was the office?
Answer: Secretary-General of the United Nations