Next month, the Security Council will officially begin to consider candidates for UN Secretary-General. In a letter to the President of the General Assembly, the Security Council announced that it will hold its first “straw poll” on 21 July.
Under the UN Charter, the Secretary-General is appointed by the General Assembly, “upon the recommendation” of the Security Council. Straw polls are used by the Council to identify which candidates enjoy the broadest support from its members—and which face an uphill battle to the recommendation. It is expected that all of the official candidates will be included in the 21 July straw poll.
Click here for more information about the candidates
Notably, the Security Council's letter also states that, "a member state may present candidates, nationals and or non-nationals of that state, at any stage of the process." While we welcome the nomination of any qualified individual, 1 for 7 Billion encourages all candidates for Secretary-General to participate in informal dialogues with the General Assembly—regardless of when they are nominated.
Both the current President of the General Assembly and the President-elect have committed to offering informal dialogues with candidates on an ongoing basis. President Lykketoft has also urged member states to nominate candidates as soon as possible, to ensure that these hearings can be arranged early in the process.