A few hours after the Security Council announced its decision to recommend António Guterres to be the next UN Secretary-General on 5 October, a 1 for 7 Billion delegation met the new President of the General Assembly, Peter Thomson.
Guterres maintains lead in 5th Security Council straw poll
Guterres maintains lead in Security Council straw polls
The UN Security Council held its fourth round of straw polls on 9 September to determine which candidate it will put forward to replace Ban Ki-moon as the next Secretary-General.
This latest round saw the former Prime Minister of Portugal and former head of the UN Refugee Agency, Antόnio Guterres, maintain his lead for the fourth time running.
Security Council holds first straw poll for next Secretary-General; President of the GA calls for more transparency
Today: Secretary-General candidates to take part in first ever televised debate
Ten candidates vying for the position of UN Secretary-General will take part in the first ever televised debate on Tuesday 12 July, broadcast by Al Jazeera. Worldwide audiences will be given an unprecedented opportunity to watch the debate live, as candidates set out their visions for a stronger United Nations, capable of addressing the world's most pressing issues - from civil wars and terrorism, to climate change and forced migration.
Summary of the General Assembly Hearings
Srgjan Kerim - live commentary from the General Assembly hearing
Helen Clark - live commentary from the General Assembly hearing
António Guterres - live commentary from the General Assembly hearing
As UNGA meetings begin, candidates must display courage, integrity and commitment to transparency
1 for 7 Billion welcomes the meetings with UN Secretary-General candidates to be held in the General Assembly on 12-14 April. For the first time in the UN’s history, all UN member states will have the opportunity to engage with candidates through a structured process, taking forward the historic Resolution 69/321 adopted by the General Assembly last year.
Majority of states support discussion of single term, multiple candidates proposals
1 for 7 Billion has launched two new documents showing where every UN Member State stands on two urgent proposals for reform: the appointment of the Secretary-General for a single, non-renewable term of between five and ten years, and the recommendation of multiple candidates by the Security Council to the General Assembly.
1 for 7 Billion urges action at upcoming UN debate
This week, the 1 for 7 Billion campaign sent a letter to all UN Member States urging them to consider specific reforms to further improve the selection process before the next Secretary-General is appointed at the end of the year. The letter comes ahead of a thematic debate on the selection and appointment of the UN Secretary-General, to take place at the UN’s New York headquarters on 22 March
The public wants a UN leader with "the courage to stand up to powerful countries"
In September 2015, 1 for 7 Billion launched a public poll to generate discussion on the role of the UN Secretary-General. The poll asked questions about the issues the next Secretary-General should prioritise and the qualities she or he should possess to be an effective leader of the United Nations.
1 for 7 Billion asks all candidates to commit publicly to serving a single term of office
1 for 7 Billion makes the case for the Secretary-General to stand for a single term
The 1 for 7 Billion campaign has published a statement setting out the arguments for the UN Secretary-General to stand for a single, non-renewable term of office. The paper has been released ahead of a General Assembly debate on this proposal on 29 February.
Leading UN experts call for "courageous" UN leader to serve single term of office
World Federation of UN Associations backs calls for fairer Sec-Gen selection process
Mark the UN’s 70th anniversary with an open and transparent process to select the next Secretary-General
Member States Call for UNSG Selection Reform at 70th UN General Assembly
From 28 September to 3 October, the 70th session of the UN General Assembly held its general debate at UN headquarters in New York. In line with the theme of the debate—“The United Nations at 70: a New Commitment to Action”—states from all regions took the opportunity to express their support for critical and timely changes to the appointment process for the Secretary-General.