During a recent civil society event in London, Secretary-General candidate Michelle Bachelet made news by announcing her support for the next Secretary-General to serve only one term in office.
Bachelet made the comment when asked whether she would pledge to uphold 1 for 8 BIllion’s “Principles for Integrity” – a set of five commitments to promote transparency and accountability in Secretary-General campaigns. Bachelet replied that she would subscribe to the Principles for Integrity, and added that she would go one step further by supporting a single term in office.
Elaborating on her rationale, Bachelet suggested that such a step is needed to help avoid a Secretary-General becoming compromised by the pressures of reappointment, asserting that “I believe that you have to make the best decisions with independence”.
The remarks were made at a public event organised by the UN Association of the UK, a member of 1 for 8 Billion’s steering committee, held at Central Hall Westminster on 28 May. So far, Bachelet is the only one of the five candidates to support a single term, although three candidates have now endorsed 1 for 8 Billion’s Principles for Integrity.
1 for 8 Billion has supported the proposal for a non-renewable term of office since the campaign was founded in 2014. An incumbent Secretary-General hoping to secure a second term in office may feel pressure to maintain the goodwill of the countries serving on the UN Security Council – the body responsible for recommending Secretary-General candidates to the UN General Assembly for appointment.
There is a particular risk that the five veto-wielding members of the Security Council – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America – may exert influence over an incumbent Secretary-General by threatening to block their reappointment. This could discourage an incumbent Secretary-General from acting independently and taking actions that may not be welcomed by the five veto holders.
Additionally, the convention of a five year term of office, renewable once, has led to each of the three most recent Secretaries-General serving a decade-long term. Such long tenures are out of step with a rapidly changing world and can discourage change within the organization.
At least 145 states have either declared their support for a single term or called for further discussion on the proposal, with just a handful of states expressing opposition. Several former Secretaries-General have also supported a longer, non-renewable term, including Kofi Annan, Javier Perez de Cuellar and Ban Ki-moon.
Image: Secretary-General candidate Michelle Bachelet speaking at a public event in London organised by the UN Association of the UK