The Election at the United Nations: A Dozen Diplomats

Of the dozen diplomats vying to be the next Secretary-General of the United Nations, half are women.  And 8 of the 12 are from Eastern Europe.  There’s a reason for that.  The informal tradition of regional rotation is a major factor in appointing the Secretary-General.  The current SG Ban Ki-Moon is from Asia.  The idea is, if the Secretaries-General consistently come from the same region, it’ll give undue influence to that group of countries.

 

No Secretary-General yet has come from Eastern Europe.  And they say, it’s their turn.

 

“Why not this time? For the very first time in 70 years of the UN’s existence, we might actually choose a good candidate from Eastern Europe to lead the organization…be it a woman, or a man,” said Natalia Gherman of Moldova at a recent town hall.

 

The other four candidates are from Latin America and the West.

 

There are no formal qualifications for the job.  The UN says candidates should display, “a commitment to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, extensive leadership, and administrative and diplomatic experience.”

 

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