The Elders

Historic letter to commence selection of next UN Secretary-General

1 for 7 Billion welcomes the ground-breaking joint letter to be sent by the Presidents of the General Assembly and the Security Council on the appointment of the next UN Secretary-General in 2016. The letter marks – for the first time in the UN's history – the start of an official selection process for this crucial role.

Elders urge thorough and open process irrespective of gender or region

In an opinion piece in the New York Times Kofi Annan and Gro Harlem Brundtland urge an immediate overhaul of the process to select the Secretary-General, echoing specific measures promoted in the 1 for 7 Billion campaign.