Barely one year to the end of the tenure of incumbent Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), Ban Ki-moon, the contest to succeed him is already on.
The appointment of UN Secretaries-General is rotated according to regions and Eastern Europe has never produced the Secretary-General 71 years after its creation.
Two women from Bulgaria, an Eastern European country, have been favoured to be appointed at the end of Ki-moon’s second term in January 2017.
The women are Kristalina Ivanova Georgieva an economist and administrator, currently serving as European Commissioner for Budget and Human Resources and Irina Bokova, who is serving her second term as the Director-General of UNESCO. Bokova is the first woman and the first Eastern European to lead UNESCO.
The appointment of any one of the two women would be historic. Apart from being from Eastern Europe, no woman has been appointed to the exalted office since the creation of the UN.
While the two women are suitably qualified for the office, political issues have arisen in Bulgaria over who the Bulgarian government would nominate for the position.
In 2015, the UN Security Council and UN General Assembly resolved to make the selection process for UN Secretary-General more transparent by asking member states to make nominations.
This is a deviation from the former practice where the Secretary-General was appointed by the UN General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council. The Secretary-General’s selection was therefore subject to the veto of any of the five permanent members of the Security Council.
The term of office of the UN Secretary-General is five years and although there is no limit to the number of five-year terms a Secretary-General may serve, none has so far served more than two terms.
America and Russia, both permanent members of the UN Security Council hold high stakes in the emergence of the UN Secretary-General and whoever they support would be the game changer in the race.
Also, a gender agenda is likely to be a big factor in the selection of the next UN Secretary General. The US has been in the forefront of agitations for a female UN Secretary-General.
Though it is improbable who the US will support, Bokova may not enjoy the country’s support over her role in lobbying the country to accept the assent of Palestinian authority as a member of UNESCO in 2011.
Discreet campaigning has already begun among the top contenders, with each trying to outdo the other.
Though no official pronouncement has been made, Bokova appears to be enjoying massive support from within the Bulgarian government, headed by Prime Minister Boiko Borissov.
Recently, Bulgarian Foreign Minister, Daniel Mitov, said the country would announce its candidate when it would be most opportune for its candidacy to be a success.
A member of the opposition in her country, Bokova enjoys support from the leading political party.
According to reports, in a move reactive to the foreign minister’s announcement, leader of Bulgaria’s minority socialist breakaway party ABC, Georgi Purvanov, threatened to withdraw from his party’s deal to support Borissov’s coalition government unless the country formally nominates Bokova as its candidate for United Nations Secretary-General.
Speaking at a news conference mid-January, Purvanov said that the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs should not procrastinate but should move immediately with the nomination of Bokova as UN Secretary-General, pointing out that the vague position and possible wrong decision on the part of the Bulgarian government could lead to ABC reconsidering its position on its participation in the government.
Purvanov had also alleged that some Bulgarian diplomats were secretly working against Bokova’s candidacy.
According to him, “clear instructions should be given to the Bulgarian diplomats abroad to without ambiguity and double games support the candidacy of Irina Bokova, as some of them are allowing themselves to work against this nomination. This is not only ugly, but is offensive to the nation, for our compatriots to do that is somewhat unacceptable.”
“I refuse to reflect on the hypothesis that the state would not support Irina Bokova. If this happens, it will be a disaster for the Bulgarian diplomacy,” he added.
Georgieva on her part is said to be the favourite of both Ki-Moon and Borissov for the job. Borissov may however be more disposed to keeping her in Brussels.
Another top contender for the job is outgoing foreign minister of Croatia, Vesna Pusic, but there are concerns that the incoming Croatian government may not nominate her. Also waiting in the flanks should Bulgaria not put its act together is former Slovene president, Danilo Turk, former Prime Minister of Montenegro, Igor Luksic, former foreign minister of Macedonia, Srgjan Kerim, former foreign minister of Serbia, Vuk Jeremic, and foreign minister of Slovakia, Miroslav Lajcak.
Of the other contenders, Jeremic and Lajcak, stand a better chance, should the Bulgarian end not work out, according to analysts.
Past UN Secretaries-General
To set the state for the take-off of the UN, Gladwyn Jebb was appointed after World War II and he served as Executive Secretary of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations in August 1945, being appointed Acting United Nations Secretary-General from October 24, 1945 to February 1, 1946 until the appointment of the first Secretary-General, Trygve Lie. He was from the United Kingdom, under the Western European and others UN regional group.
The first substantive UN Secretary-General, Trygve Lie, served from 2 February 1946 –
10 November 1952. He was from Denmark, also under the Western European and others UN regional group. After Lie, was Dag Hammarskjöld from Sweden and Western European and others UN regional group, who was in office from 10 April 1953 – 18 September 1961.
U Thant, a native of Burma, of the Asia Pacific UN regional group was the third UN Secretary-General. Thant was in office from 30 November 1961 – 31 December 1971.
Following his refusal to contest the office for a third time, the fourth Secretary-General, Curt Waldheim, was appointed for two terms from 1 January 1972 – 31 December 1981. He was from Austria, Western European and others UN regional group. The fifth Secretary-General, Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, from Peru, served for two terms from 1 January 1982 – 31 December 1991. He was of the Western European and others UN regional group.
The sixth was Boutrous Boutros-Ghali from Egypt, who served for one term from 1 January 1992 –31 December 1996. He was of the Africa/Arab UN regional group.
Boutrous-Ghali was succeeded by Ghanian, Kofi Annan, as the seventh UN Secretary-General. Annan served two full terms from 1 January 1997 – 31 December 2006. He was of the Africa Un regional group.
Incumbent, Ban Ki-Moon has been in office from 1 January 2007. He is presently serving his second term which will end in 2017. He is of the Asia-Pacific UN regional group.
Of the UN regional groups, only Eastern Europe is yet to produce a Secretary-General.
Western European and others has produced 3 Secretaries-General who served six terms; Latin American and Carribean group produced one and he served two terms; Asia/Pacific group produced two and they served four terms while the African group produced two and they served three terms.
No woman has been appointed UN Secretary General since its formation.
The Role Of The Secretary-General
The Secretary-General is a symbol of United Nations ideals and a spokesman for the interests of the world’s peoples, in particular the poor and vulnerable among them. The Charter describes the Secretary-General as “chief administrative officer” of the Organisation, who shall act in that capacity and perform “such other functions as are entrusted” to him or her by the Security Council, General Assembly, Economic and Social Council and other United Nations organs. The Charter also empowers the Secretary-General to “bring to the attention of the Security Council any matter which in his opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security”. These guidelines both define the powers of the office and grant it considerable scope for action. The Secretary-General would fail if he did not take careful account of the concerns of Member States, but he 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.
That creative tension accompanies the Secretary-General through day-to-day work that includes attendance at sessions of United Nations bodies; consultations with world leaders, government officials, and others; and worldwide travel intended to keep him in touch with the peoples of the Organisation’s Member States and informed about the vast array of issues of international concern that are on the Organisation’s agenda.
Each year, the Secretary-General issues a report on the work of the United Nations that appraises its activities and outlines future priorities. The Secretary-General is also Chairman of the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB), which brings together the Executive Heads of all UN funds, programmes and specialised agencies twice a year in order to further coordination and cooperation in the entire range of substantive and management issues facing the United Nations System.
One of the most vital roles played by the Secretary-General is the use of his “good offices” — steps taken publicly and in private, drawing upon his independence, impartiality and integrity, to prevent international disputes from arising, escalating or spreading.
Each Secretary-General also defines his role within the context of his particular time in office.
African leaders seek permanent Security Council membership
African leaders yesterday called on the UN to reform the Security Council by making African nations its permanent members.
The African leaders, who were unequivocal in their demand, also told the UN that the continent would fight for its own identity, integrity and personality.
The immediate past chairman of the AU and president of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, made the call at the commencement of the 26th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Heads of State and Government of the African Union, with the theme “2016: African Year of Human Rights, with Particular Focus on the Rights of Women,” in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, yesterday.
Mugabe told the UN Secretary-General, that African nations were independent and were supposed to be free, adding that African countries would certainly decide one day that they could not continue to be “artificial members” of the United Nations.
He said if the United Nations must survive, African countries must be equal members of the global organisation.
“There should be real uniformity in the UN Security Council,” Mugabe said, to deafening applause from his colleagues.
“Mr Ban Ki Moon, we are independent nations and we are supposed to be free. We go to the UN General Assembly every September. We pay a lot of money to the UN year in year out, but the body in the Security Council says we shall never have the power they have. Reform the Security Council! I want to tell you, Mr Ban Ki Moon that you are a good man but of course, we can make you a fighter. We shall fight a fight for our own identity, integrity and personality as Africans. If we decide, as we shall certainly do one day, that we cannot continue to be artificial members of the United Nations… If the UN must survive, we must be equal members of it…We have said we have to be permanent members (of the UN Security Council) with a veto power, if the veto must be retained.
“Mr Ban Ki Moon, tell them (the UN) that we are also humans and not ghosts. We also belong to the world. Africa shall no longer tolerate slavery by any means; by denial of rights…I hope you will hear from us on the issue of the United Nations reform. You’re a good man, you’ve visited our countries where diseases have visited and where calamities and terrorism have taken place. We say thank you. That distinguishes you from others. We know where you come from,” Mugabe, who ended his term as AU chairman yesterday, said
He thanked other African leaders for supporting him throughout his reign as chairman of the African Union.
Chadian president elected AU chair
The President of Chad, Idriss Deby, was yesterday elected new chairman of the African Union (AU).
President of Benin Republic, Boni Yayi and Paul Kagame of Rwanda, were also elected yesterday as first and second vice presidents, respectively, of the African Union Bureau of the Drafting Committee.
Deby, who took over the chairmanship of the AU from Mugabe, will serve his tenure in 2016.
Mugabe announced Deby’s election in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, at the opening of the 26th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU), yesterday.
Deby while accepting to serve, thanked his colleagues from Central Africa for unanimously nominating him as a consensus candidate, saying he accepts the task with pleasure, but with a little agony.
He described his new responsibility as heavy and fraught with challenges.
“I accept this task with pleasure, but with a little agony as the responsibility you entrust in me is heavy and fraught with challenges,” Deby said.
Déby commended his predecessor, Mugabe, for serving African Union with passion and determination in the year 2015.
“He (Mugabe) served his term with passion and determination and has attained the objectives that were laid out. I’m going to succeed President Robert Mugabe and it is not an easy task, we will try to do all our best; I would like to assure you.
“You are giving Chad and its people a great pleasure by appointing me as chairman of the African Union for 2016. I would like to thank my colleagues of the central African region who proposed me for this noble function, and all of you here who have endorsed their choice”, the Chadian president said.
Ki-Moon advises against clinging to power
In his remarks earlier at the session yesterday, Ki-Moon advised African leaders against taking advantage of unconstitutional means and legal loopholes to cling to power.
He noted that 17 African countries would be going into elections this year, and urged the leaders to emulate those who committed to stepping aside by respecting constitutional term limits.
Ki-Moon also admonished African leaders to strive to protect their people, pointing out that the consequences of clinging to power through legal loopholes are bound to be tragic.
“Participation is also crucial, and elections are another test of good governance. 17 African countries will go to the ballot box in 2016. Leaders should never use undemocratic constitutional changes and legal loopholes to cling to power. We have all seen the tragic consequences when they do. Leaders must protect their people, not themselves.
“I commend those leaders who committed to stepping aside and respect constitutional term limits. I call on all to follow their example.
“Leaders who stand by while civilians are slaughtered in their names must be held responsible,” the UN Secretary-General said.
LEADERSHIP
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