1 for 8 Billion news
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.
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.
Staff members of UN Departments, Funds, Programmes and Agencies have expressed their views on the type of Secretary-General that will help them continue to deliver the best possible implementation of the UN Charter and the mandates set by UN member states. The open letter below is available for signature by all UN staff members.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
