On 5 February 2021 the President of the General Assembly (PGA), Volkan Bozkir, together with the British Ambassador to the UN, Barbara Woodward, acting in her capacity as President of the Security Council for the month of February, circulated a joint letter formally launching the process of appointing a Secretary-General for the term beginning in 2022.
In 2016 the 1 for 7 Billion coalition successfully pushed for reforms to the process of selecting the UN Secretary-General, leading to the most open and transparent appointment in the Organisation’s history. Despite our successful campaign and strong calls from UN member states, it had been unclear whether the progress made five years ago would be consolidated, or if the presence of an incumbent Secretary-General seeking reappointment would see a return to a closed process without the potential for informal dialogues and multiple candidates.
We are therefore pleased to see the joint-letter consolidate major reforms adopted in 2015, and in some respects, build further upon them. 1 for 7 Billion campaigned for an open, fair and inclusive process for selecting the Secretary-General. Informal dialogues between candidates and the General Assembly were established, but it was made clear that these dialogues would be voluntary, and, according to the 2015 letter: “without prejudice to those who do not participate". We were pleased this language was not included in the 2021 joint letter, thereby creating the expectation that candidates should participate in this significant aspect of the process.
Importantly, the letter reinforces a key demand of our campaign by making it clear that the recruitment process should be open and allow for multiple candidates. 1 for 7 Billion has argued that for the circumstance of an incumbent Secretary-General seeking reappointment, they should participate in informal dialogues and be subject to competition to establish the legitimacy of their second term.
While allowing for candidates to be nominated throughout the process, the letter hints at the desire for a swift appointment with a round of informal dialogues to take place before the Council “begins its selection by May or June 2021”. Last time, not only did the first Security Council straw poll not take place until 26 July of the selection year, but the process had begun almost two months earlier. We hope the PGA will work with the Council to ensure sufficient time for candidates to be identified and scrutinised and welcome the President of the General Assembly’s dedicated website where candidates will be listed and an accessible guide to the selection process can be found.
Regrettably, one sentence from the 2015 joint letter encouraging female candidates was omitted from the 2021 version. While we recognise the desire to avoid being seen as prejudicial towards the hitherto sole (male) candidate, with no woman having served as Secretary-General in the UN’s 75 years, it is important that the process should encourage qualified female candidates to come forward. The ACT Group – a coalition of 25 small and medium sized states instrumental in the 2015-16 reforms – has encouraged the early presentation of highly qualified female candidates in a non-paper released earlier this month, while Honduras has unilaterally written to its fellow member states encouraging suitable female candidates to challenge Secretary-General Guterres.
1 for 7 Billion welcomes the leadership from the President of the General Assembly, Security Council members and from the wider UN membership and is pleased to see the consolidation of the 2015-16 gains. Over the coming months we look forward to championing civil society inclusion in the process including through direct contact with candidates to increase transparency around their vision for the United Nations.
Image: UK President of Security Council, Barbara Woodward, Briefs Press on Programme of Work (c) UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe