United Nations Secretary-General Ban ki-Moon’s second (and last) five-year term expires on December 31st 2016. Roughly every ten years, the vexed question arises of how to identify a good leader for the job of the world’s chief diplomat. This important process remains a mystery to the global public, and even to many within the UN. This time around a new factor is in play: unprecedented pressure to pick a woman for the job.
There are plenty of women with the experience and background – as diplomats, politicians, and international civil servants – to be selected. A civil society Campaign to Elect a Woman UN Secretary-General (of which I am a member) offers weekly profiles of women leaders from around the world who might be considered. Known in hashtag-speak as #she4SG, the campaign has highlighted the glaring and persistent gender imbalance in top UN leadership, and argues that,after more than 70 years and eight male SGs in a row, it is high time a woman is selected.
Lack of clarity about the selection process
