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.

On 20 September, 1 for 8 Billion was thrilled to be joined by Elders member and former Prime Minister of New Zealand, Helen Clark, for the launch of our policy platform on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. In her remarks, Clark, who was a candidate during the selection process in 2016, supported our call for a transparent and fair process, and noted that appointing a feminist woman leader would be “part of the revitalisation of the UN, and of ideally bringing a different touch to the way the UN can lead on some of these big and very, very challenging issues.”

During an interactive dialogue on the Pact for the Future, Elders Chair and Former President of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos, made clear his, and The Elders’, strong support: “that the next Secretary-General be a woman”. His remarks highlighted how decisions of international security are still primarily, and at times exclusively, made by men.

The Elders’ position builds on their long-standing focus and advocacy for a more inclusive, fairer approach to appointing global leaders. The previous iteration of the campaign, 1 for 7 Billion, welcomed Elders’ support for several of our proposals to overhaul the Secretary-General selection process. As part of the The Elders’ “Four ideas for a stronger UN”, spearheaded in 2015 by the late Kofi Annan and Gro Harlem Brundtland, the group signalled their support for the Security Council to recommend more than one possible candidate to the General Assembly; for appointees to serve a single term of seven years; and for an end to promises by candidates in return for support. Later that year, Mary Robinson famously described the selection process as “morally inexcusable” at a high-level UN event, adding momentum to calls to transform the process.

Significant progress was made by the 1 for 7 Billion campaign, which saw the 2016 process dramatically improved in terms of transparency. However, the proposals mentioned above, as well as the call for a woman Secretary-General, remain outstanding. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with The Elders in pursuit of a fairer, more inclusive UN Secretary-General selection process.

Read 1 for 8 BIllion’s Policy Platform.

Image: Elders Chair and Former President of Colombia, Juan Manual Santos, speaks at UNGA79. Credit: UN Web TV.