While awaiting a statement from Antonio Guterres on his availability to serve a second term as UN Secretary-General, urgent proactive steps can and should be taken to ensure that the upcoming selection process positively reinforces the hard-won gains of 2016.

The Office of the President of the General Assembly, UN Member States, and civil society all have a current role to play in raising awareness of this issue and planning for a fair, open process building on past reforms.

The risk of inattention

With multiple pressing issues facing the international community and the massive upheaval of UN business due to Covid-19 restrictions, there is a danger that insufficient planning could lead to a rushed process to select the UN’s next Secretary-General - a process which, based on last time, is due to be triggered in December 2020 with a joint letter from the Presidents of the General Assembly and Security Council.

Without a transparent, inclusive process, this selection (or “reselection”, as the case may be) will be seen as failing to consolidate previous gains and would be considered a major backwards step.

A lower profile process would also deny the current Secretary-General the opportunity to get widespread buy-in for a second term - and the legitimacy and power to act that comes with it. It would further play into the hands of UN detractors who admonish the United Nations as being opaque and unaccountable.

What should happen then?

General Assembly Resolution 73/341 provides the basis for the upcoming selection process (it was agreed as the basis for the programme of work during the 75th session through Resolution 74/303). It states the need to consolidate the 2015/16 reforms contained in Resolution 69/321 and explore steps to further strengthen the process while encouraging the President of the General Assembly to take proactive steps to ensure this happens.

We urge the current Secretary-General to make his intentions clear as soon as possible to allow for a well-planned selection process. In the interim, based on the process agreed by the General Assembly, the following represents 1 for 7 Billion’s initial thoughts on what steps should be taken to address the two main scenarios we now face.

Scenario one: Mr Guterres does not re-stand:

A joint letter from the Presidents of the General Assembly and the Security Council should be sent no later than December 2020, allowing a year to complete the recruitment process
The letter should outline a much more detailed plan than last time, including additional items such as:
- A cut-off date for nominations and a desired conclusion to the selection allowing sufficient time for the Secretary-General-designate to be inducted into the role
- Clarity over whether states can nominate (1) individuals other than nationals of their own country, and (2) multiple candidates (1 for 7 Billion believes nationality should not be restricted and that states should refrain from nominating multiple candidates)
- A requirement for candidates to disclose detailed campaign finances and funding sources
- Stronger provisions to encourage female candidates
- Encouragement of vision statements with clear priorities
A transparent, dynamic process:
- The format of General Assembly ‘informal dialogues’ should be modified to avoid repetitive questions and allow more interactions with civil society
- Security Council straw polls should be transparent
- 1 for 7 Billion will work with supportive states on its unfinished business: the reform to allow multiple candidates to be put to the General Assembly and the appointment of the next Secretary General for a longer (7yr) non-renewable term
Maintaining the independence of the Secretary-General:
- Focus on the need for meritocratic appointment processes throughout the UN system - an issue highlighted by the recent Together First report on UN reform. There is a widely acknowledged practice that powerful states – in exchange for lending their support to a Secretary-General candidate – extract promises of senior UN appointments for their nationals. This has led to de facto monopolies of top UN jobs by certain states. This practice not only compromises the independence of the Secretary-General but impoverishes the UN’s talent-base by denying opportunities to outstanding candidates who may not have the same level of political support behind them. States and candidates should refrain from such practices.

Scenario two: Mr Guterres re-stands:

As a civil society campaign 1 for 7 Billion will make the case on principle that there should be a positive, competitive process similar to that outlined above, with appropriate measures put in place to ensure that the incumbent does not receive preferential treatment.

There is a widespread sentiment that the appointment of a female Secretary-General is long overdue. The absence of a competitive selection process would extend consideration of a female Secretary-General by at least another five years – a dynamic which will need to be taken into account.

We acknowledge that there may be mixed feelings among Member States around the prospect of a competitive selection process which accommodates the incumbent, with some seeing such a process as likely to be divisive. Irrespective of whether there is a competitive process there is a bare minimum of provisions which need thought and planning:

A vision statement for a second term
Dialogue(s) with Member States enabling the incumbent to set out his achievements and hear concerns and priorities from the UN’s membership.
Civil society and youth town hall meetings (1 for 7 Billion stands ready to assist with this)

A positive, legitimate process

Whatever transpires, our civil society coalition will campaign for transparency, fairness and inclusivity during this appointment process guided by the principles outlined in our policy platform.

Our motivation is to strengthen the UN through best practice which will boost the Secretary-General’s credibility, giving them the best possible chance of rising to the challenge of leading the organisation charged with averting the defining challenges of the 21st century.

Image: Volkan Bozkir, President of the seventy-fifth session of the United Nations General Assembly, chairs a meeting on the strengthening UN System (c) UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe