The United Nations called on all its members yesterday, Tuesday, to nominate qualified individuals for the position of Secretary-General, in accordance with a transparent election process, after the selection of the Secretary-General of the international organization had been limited to secret negotiations between the five permanent members.
A joint letter was sent by the presidents of the Security Council and the General Assembly of the United Nations, including a questionnaire about the candidates nominated for this high-level position, after the countries demanded an open election process based on merit, with a clear list of qualifications and a defined timeline.
The letter was sent to all 193 member states of the United Nations, requesting them to submit public nominations. The General Assembly and the Security Council will commit to disseminating the names of the candidates to the countries and providing opportunities to meet the candidates.
The letter stated: “We invite all candidates who have proven leadership and management skills, extensive experience in international relations, and strong diplomatic and communication skills, as well as multilingual abilities.”
The letter called on countries to nominate both men and women to apply for this position, which has been limited to men since the establishment of the United Nations 70 years ago.
The Security Council stated that it will begin the selection process by the end of July 2016 and will submit its recommendations to the Security Council “in due course.”
According to the Charter of the United Nations, the General Assembly elects the Secretary-General based on the recommendations of the Security Council.