1 for 8 Billion launches its new policy platform
1 for 8 Billion launches its new policy platform
1 for 8 Billion is pleased to have joined over 200 organisations and prominent individuals urging members of the Organization of American States (OAS) to ensure a transparent selection process and elect its first woman Secretary General in 2025.
The G20 Leaders' Declaration, signed at the Rio de Janeiro Leaders summit in November 2024, includes significant commitments to further the appointment of women to senior positions within the UN. 1 for 8 BIllion welcomes this development and will be monitoring how this translates to action in the UN General Assembly throughout 2025.
At the first General Assembly debate of the session on the selection process for the UN Secretary-General (SG) the most prominent issue was women’s representation in UN leadership positions with many states using the opportunity to raise the need to appoint a woman Secretary-General - a central demand of the 1 for 8 Billion campaign.
The rights of women to participate in in international decision-making spaces has been strengthened with the adoption of important new guidance on women’s representation by CEDAW member states. The guidance makes it clear that women must have “equal and inclusive representation” in all decision-making systems and that, as a starting point, this requires no less than 50-50 parity between women and men.
On Friday 20 September the campaign launched its policy platform. Natalie Samarasinghe moderated the discussion with H.E Maritza Chan-Valverde, Ambassador of Costa Rica to the UN, Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, Susana Malcorra, President and Founder of GWL Voices, and Shamala Kandiah Thompson of Security Council Report.
Today world leaders gathered at UN headquarters to adopt the Pact for the Future. 1 for 8 Billion welcomes the Pact for the Future’s commitment to run a transparent, inclusive selection process and its support for a woman Secretary-General.
1 for 8 BIlion’s policy platform calls on all states to only consider nominating women candidates for UN Secretary-General. Use our template letter to adapt and send to your government to ask them to support this call.
Entitled “A fair and inclusive process to appoint the next UN Secretary-General”, the new platform sets out the campaign’s policy recommendations for the upcoming selection process including five policies Member States should adopt to ensure an inclusive process and a level playing field for candidates from all around the world
As part of an ongoing commitment by 1 for 8 Billion and its partners to increase knowledge and strengthen the robustness of the SG selection process, the United Nations Association - UK has published a detailed report looking at the scenario of an interruption to an SG’s tenure in office.
As we gear up for another selection process we are going to put forward new and updated proposals - we'd like you to tell us what they should be! Please join this conversation and let us know how YOU think the world’s top diplomat should be chosen.
Join the 1 for 8 Billion campaign and get involved with our shared objective of a fair, open and inclusive Secretary-General selection process. Join the coalition as a member organisation, sign our woman SG letter, write to your government.
More than 750 organisations, 170 million supporters worldwide - all calling for a better process to select the UN Secretary-General
Assessments of the process and what needs to be done
1 for 7 Billion's 5 priorities for the selection process
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1 for 8 Billion welcomes the emphatic support of The Elders for the appointment of a woman UN Secretary-General. The independent group of global leaders championed this position at the UN headquarters as heads of Government met in September 2024.