Secretary-General candidates at the informal dialogues at the UN, New York
Traditionally, the United Nations Secretary-General (UNSG) selection process has taken place almost completely behind closed doors – with only the members of the United Nations Security Council making the selection. In the past, a “campaign” for UNSG relied entirely on appealing to the Security Council’s Permanent Five (P5) members rather than to the Member States the Secretary-General is charged to represent and serve. It was less about competing on merit, having strong values and beliefs, or even a personality, and instead about “clearing” the P5 – and specifically the perpetually deadlocked “P2”. In short, the main qualification for the winning candidate was an ability to clear the discerning gaze of both the United States and Russia.
But this time around, things are different. For the first time the full list of UNSG candidates is known across the UN system and by the global public as well, renewing both interest in the United Nations and hope for its future work.
