1 for 7 Billion has written to all official candidates for the position of UN Secretary-General, asking for their public commitment to serve only for 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.
The first Sec-Gen was elected, not appointed
70 years ago today, Trygve Lie became the first UN Secretary-General. Following his recommendation by the Security Council, the General Assembly held a secret ballot, which saw Lie, a former Norwegian foreign minister, elected with 46 votes to 3 and two abstentions (the video below shows the voting).
Leading UN experts call for "courageous" UN leader to serve single term of office
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.
World Federation of UN Associations backs calls for fairer Sec-Gen selection process
1 for 7 Billion urges Security Council to act now to start selection process
The 1 for 7 Billion campaign urges all members of the Security Council to agree to start the process of selecting the next UN Secretary-General immediately in a transparent and inclusive manner. The Presidents of the Council and the General Assembly should promptly write the joint letter that sets out the entire process and invites presentation of candidates ‘in a timely manner’.