The Foreign Service Journal, September 2006

spread cases of sexual abuse perpe- trated by peacekeepers still fresh in people’s minds — the U.N. needs a strong administrator at its helm above all else. There was general agreement that the next secretary-general must be a “uniting figure” who can develop solutions to challenges in the diplomatic, economic and humanitarian fields. In particular, many respondents cited the need to bridge the gap between North and South and to repair the deep divisions that have emerged recently. But while there was consensus that the next secretary-general must be able to work with all member-states and to stand up to the five permanent Security Council members when necessary, some P-5 members cautioned that he or she should not be too strong a personality. Some participants drew attention to the mounting pressure that the next secretary-general will likely face from powerful members-states whose recent attempts to gain permanent seats on the council have failed. The process for selecting the secretary-general has mainly consisted of secret ballots and closed meetings, with information distributed through leaks rather than formal reporting. Most participants in our discussions therefore agreed that a transparent, democratic process would go a long way toward producing the most qualified and credible candidate. Some participants advocated the establishment of a search committee with diverse regional representation, possibly comprised of former heads of state that have emerged positively in an international light. This idea, however, was met with some reluctance, primarily by those who pointed out that the U.N. is not a corporation and should not be managed as such. One participant likened the establishment of a search committee for the next secretary-general to placing an advertisement in The Economist. As noted above, the U.N. charter does not contain any specific refer- ence to regional rotation in the process for selecting the secretary- general. However, General Assem- bly Resolution 51/241 states that “due regard” should be given to regional rotation. During our dis- cussions, some argued that the practice has been more or less adhered to for the past 60 years and, as such, it should continue to be observed. Those who strongly favored regional rotation viewed it as a way to ensure an element of equity in the process, allowing the developing world to be represented. They believe Annan should now hand off the baton to an Asian. Others felt that while regional rotation is important and desirable, we should move on to others if Asia cannot produce the best candidate. A third group of participants (the smallest of the three) took the position that the most qualified person for the job should be sought regardless of regional origin. The Asians and Africans, who together represent the majority of the 192 member states of the U.N., seem to agree that it is now Asia’s turn to take the helm at the U.N. But the five permanent, veto-wielding members of the Security Council appear to be divided on where the next secretary-general should come from. With a lack of consensus among the P-5 on this issue, it remains to be seen if the element of regional rotation will be adhered to in the upcoming process. Notwithstanding this uncertainty, a number of participants observed that, pragmatically speaking, it would be difficult to envision any other outcome at this point. Not surprisingly, many participants in our discussions called for the General Assembly to have a larger role in identifying specific candidates that reflect the priorities of the membership and submitting them to the Security Council. In fact, some asserted that the process of choos- ing the secretary-general should originate in the General Assembly, which would enhance the nominee’s legitima- cy. It is not clear whether adopting such a procedure would necessitate a change to the U.N. Charter, but an expanded General Assembly role would likely become a great source of tension with the Security Council that would not be easy to resolve. F O C U S 42 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 6 Suzanne DiMaggio is vice president for global policy programs at the United Nations Association of the USA, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that serves as a center for innovative programs and dialogue to engage Americans in issues of global concern. Re-examining the selection process should be viewed as a component of the larger, ongoing U.N. reform effort.