The selection process for the new UN Secretary-General begins – what is his role and who are the predecessors?

What was included in the speech and the features of moving forward?

🔹With this speech, member states are invited to present their candidates for the position.

The Security Council intends to submit its recommendation to the General Assembly at an appropriate time so that the appointment by the General Assembly will allow the person selected sufficient time to prepare to assume the position.

🔹The speech confirmed that the process will be guided by the principles of transparency and inclusion.

He pointed out that no woman has held the position of Secretary-General of the United Nations since the organization was established 80 years ago, and strongly encouraged member states to consider nominating women for the position.

🔹He stressed the importance of regional diversity in the process of selecting secretaries-general.

🔹Nominations are submitted by one of the member states or a group of members, and each state can nominate only one person, whether it does so individually or with a group of other countries.

🔹Candidates must submit a statement outlining their vision and revealing funding sources at the time of candidacy.

🔹If the candidate is an employee of the United Nations, he will have to consider suspending his work in the United Nations system during the election campaign to avoid any conflict of interest.

The President of the General Assembly and the President of the Security Council will provide candidates with opportunities to conduct dialogues or informal meetings with Member States, including through interactive dialogues in the General Assembly broadcast on the United Nations website.

What does the Secretary-General do?

🔹The role of the Secretary-General of the United Nations includes multiple tasks, including diplomacy, advocacy for important issues, and leadership of the system as a whole. He is a symbol of the values ​​of the United Nations and a spokesman on behalf of the interests of the peoples of the world, especially the poor and those exposed to vulnerability factors.

🔹Determines United Nations Charter The role of its Secretary-General is that he is the organization’s chief administrative officer who carries out the tasks assigned to him by the Security Council, the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council, and other United Nations bodies.

🔹The Charter gives the Secretary-General the ability to draw the attention of the Security Council to issues that he deems threaten the maintenance of international peace and security.

🔹One of the most important roles played by the Secretary-General is his “good offices,” which are steps he takes, whether publicly or secretly, based on his independence, impartiality, and integrity, to prevent the escalation or spread of disputes.

Who assumed the position of Secretary-General?

The term of the Secretary-General of the United Nations extends for five years, with the possibility of extension. Since the organization’s founding in 1945, the position has been held by 9 general secretaries:

Trygve Halfdan Lee (Norway) 1946-1952

Dag Hammarskjöld (Sweden) 1953-1961

U Thant (Myanmar) 1961-1971

Kurt Waldheim (Austria) 1972-1981

Javier Pérez de Cuéllar (Peru) 1982-1991

Boutros Boutros Ghali (Egypt) 1992-1996

Kofi Annan (Ghana) 1997-2006

Ban Ki-moon (Republic of Korea) 2007-2016

António Guterres (Portugal) 2017 and his term ends in 2026.