On 28 July, the President of the UN Security Council, Zénon Mukongo Ngay, announced that straw polls scheduled for the 30 July would go ahead, and that late entrant to the Secretary-General race, Olara Otunnu, would be included on the ballot papers.
Otunnu, who was nominated by Uganda on 24 July, has not yet had a chance to present his vision and face questions in the General Assembly, as the other 6 candidates have done. 1 for 8 Billion has sent a letter to the Presidents of the General Assembly and Security Council, calling for all candidates to go through the same process and be subjected to the same level of scrutiny from member states, civil society and the public.
There is no suggestion that Mr Otunnu is deliberately dodging scrutiny. However, on the basis of fairness and consistency, 1 for 8 Billion has called for the Security Council to delay its straw poll until all candidates have been through General Assembly scrutiny, or leave Otunnu out of polling until he has been through this step.
The letter warns that proceeding with Otunnu on the ballot sets a damaging precedent for the selection process, eroding established standards of fairness and leaving the door open for possible future last minute candidates to evade scrutiny and accountability.
List of signatory organisations:
1 for 8 Billion
CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation
GQUAL
Plataforma CIPÓ
Southern Voice
UNA-UK
WomanSG
ATRAHDOM
Banka Earth Foundation
Basel Peace Office
Centre For Human Rights And Policy Studies
Centre for Human Rights-Nis, Serbia
Community Safety Project
Democracy Without Borders
Equality Now
Economic and Social Research Foundation (ESRF)
Feministas Sin Fronteras
Global Citizen
ImPact Coalition on Strengthening International Judicial Institutions
International Human Rights movement
Menstrual Rights Global
NGO: Amis des Etrangers au Togo (ADET)
ODI Global
Oxfam International
Peace Direct
Peoples World Peace Project
Saferworld
Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI)
Sustainable Development Solutions Network Youth Philippines
Talanoa Institute
Together 2030 Stakeholder Group
Transparency Accountability and Participation (TAP) Network
Women Leadership Agenda Association (WOLAA)
Zarga organization for rural development
Photo: Zenon Ngay Mukongo, Permanent Representative of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the United Nations and President of the Security Council for the month of July, chairs the Security Council meeting on 15 July. Credit: UN Photo/Manuel Elías.