States met on 14 May to discuss what should be in the upcoming resolution on the UN Secretary-General (UNSG) selection process.
1 for 8 Billion previously circulated a discussion paper to all member states asking them to take this opportunity to implement reforms in the General Assembly before the race officially begins later this year. The negotiations for this new resolution are being co-facilitated by Ambassador Mathu Joyini and Ambassador Cornel Feruță, the Permanent Representatives of South Africa and Romania respectively, who kindly invited a 1 for 8 Billion representative to share our vision at a multi-stakeholder meeting in April.
Ahead of the member state discussion, the co-facilitators circulated an ‘elements paper’ to all member states which outlines ideas for inclusion and refinement in the draft resolution. 1 for 8 Billion welcomes this step and is pleased to see promising signs of progress towards a more transparent and open selection process. 1 for 8 Billion welcomes the inclusion of the following in the elements paper:
The elements paper emphasises the GA’s role in the appointment process and asserts its role through the range of reforms proposed
1 for 8 Billion believes a reassertion of the General Assembly’s role in the process is vital. The UN Charter states that the SG is “appointed by the General Assembly” (GA), and while the appointment is made on the basis of a Security Council recommendation, it is clear the Assembly should be in the driving seat.
The elements paper encourages the nomination of women; deplores lack of women UNSGs
1 for 8 Billion believes the GA should unequivocally endorse the appointment of a woman SG. It is evident that good intentions are not enough. Decades of resolutions encouraging the nomination of women and noting that no woman has held the post have been followed by the appointment of men.
The elements paper suggests the joint letter to launch process should be sent by first week of November and include a detailed timeline, including deadlines
1 for 8 Billion believes the race should begin as close as possible to the beginning of the 80th GA session and that this letter includes a detailed timeline that provides sufficient time for candidates to engage with Member States and other stakeholders, for candidates’ vision statements and records to be scrutinised, and for potential multiple rounds of deliberation in both the Security Council and General Assembly.
The elements paper proposes that the resolution require all candidates to take part in a separate town hall meeting with civil society participation, as well as individual hearings in the General Assembly
1 for 8 Billion believes all candidates must engage fully with every stage of the process, including opportunities for engagement organised by the President of the General Assembly, and that the selection process should be widespread and inclusive.
The elements paper suggests states can jointly nominate candidates
1 for 8 Billion believes states should cooperate to jointly nominate candidates - this could not only be a positive way to demonstrate the breadth of support for a candidate, but also a way to dispel the unhelpful misconception that states can only nominate their own nationals.
The elements paper proposes the PGA hold informal straw polls by secret ballot in the GA concurrently with the SC
1 for 8 Billion believes the GA should have a meaningful and active role in choosing the next Secretary-General. Holding polls in the General Assembly, as well as the Security Council, would help ensure alignment between the two principal organs, and the complementary roles they are assigned in the UN Charter. The outcomes of straw polls or any other deliberative mechanism must be made public.
The elements paper suggests that the General Assembly should hold an interactive session with any candidate recommended by the Security Council before holding a vote on the appointment by secret ballot
1 for 8 Billion believes that the final step in the process - the appointment - should be a moment for substantive deliberation not a coronation. If the General Assembly does not believe the recommended candidate is appropriate for the role, then the GA should be prepared to ask the SC to think again. A secret ballot is a good mechanism for this and has been used in past Secretary-General appointments (for Trygve Lie and Dag Hammarskjöld) and is currently used for other senior appointments such as the President of the General Assembly.
The elements paper proposes the term of office of the Secretary General shall be 7 years, non-renewable
1 for 8 Billion believes a non-renewable term longer than five and less than ten years would strengthen the hands of the next Secretary-General and provide for more regular testing of the postholder against evolving global requirements. It would better serve the need for renewability and innovation of the UN, and its Secretary-General.
What’s missing?
The paper includes no mention of candidate financial disclosures, no request that the UN Security Council present the GA with more than one candidate, no insistence that each candidate should participate in all elements of the formal process as a prerequisite of their candidacy and no mention of contingency planning for an interruption to an SG’s term of office. These are all elements that 1 for 8 Billion has consistently called for; see our recent briefing for more information on this.
States will now submit their feedback on the elements paper together with their language suggestions for the upcoming resolution. The zero draft of the resolution will be circulated shortly, after which there will be an iterative process of refinement and adaptation until the adoption of the final version, expected in August or September 2025.
Ahead of the negotiations 1 for 8 Billion was delighted to take part in a lively multi-stakeholder discussion at the invitation of the co-facilitators in collaboration with UN Foundation, as well as a lunchtime briefing with diplomats from the ACT group - a cross-regional group of 27 small and mid-sized countries.
Photo: UN Secretary-General António Guterres (right) meets with the Co-Chairs of the Ad-hoc Working Group: Cornel Feruță (left), Permanent Representative of Romania to the UN and Mathu Joyini, Permanent Representative of South Africa to the UN. Credit: UN Photo/Manuel Elías.