Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett participated today in a General Assembly interactive dialogue, fielding questions from member states and civil society about her vision for leading the United Nations if selected to be its next Secretary-General.

During the dialogue, Denmark—on behalf of the ACT Group, a cross-regional group of 27 small- and medium-sized states—asked Ms. Rodrigues Birkett whether she was willing to uphold 1 for 8 Billion’s Principles for Integrity in UN Secretary-General Campaigns. Ms. Rodrigues Birkett responded yes.

The Principles for Integrity comprise five commitments on issues widely supported by member states to raise standards for transparency and accountability in Secretary-General campaigns. They ask candidates to commit to a set of standards related to financial disclosures, engagement with civil society, participation in structured and transparent selection processes in the General Assembly and the Security Council, independence from member states including on senior UN appointments, and avoiding conflicts of interests with any current UN role (if applicable).

Ms. Rodrigues Birkett joins Michelle Bachelet, María Fernanda Espinosa, and Rebeca Grynspan in committing to the Principles for Integrity. The full text of the Principles for Integrity, and all candidates’ responses to the Principles, can be found here.

Image: Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett at the Interactive Dialogue on 18 June. Credit: UN Web TV.