UN members want to make selection of next UN chief more open, inclusive

The decision about who will be the next Secretary-General of the United Nations is expected to be more open and transparent after members of the UN General Assembly voted Friday to reform the selection process.

The resolution -- adopted unanimously by members of the 193-member assembly -- also promised to ensure that both gender and geographical balance are given proper consideration.

"The resolution stresses the need to observe the principles of inclusiveness and openness in the process of selecting the next Secretary-General and invites member states to consider presenting candidates based on the need for gender and geographical balance," said Sam Kutesa, president of the General Assembly.

The resolution was welcomed by member states, including the European Union (EU).

"This resolution can be seen as a milestone in enhancing the transparency and inclusivity of the selection process of the next Secretary-General," said Gerton van den Akker, EU counselor to the UN.

A working group report which helped inform the resolution stated that member states had called for more opportunities to interact with candidates in informal meetings and for selection criteria to be set out.

In practice, the General Assembly is given the opportunity to approve a single candidate put forward by the 15-member Security Council. The candidate has to gain support from all the five permanent members of the Security Council -- China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

In the UN's 70-year history, there have been eight secretaries-general, from South Korea, Ghana, Egypt, Myanmar, Peru, Austria, Sweden and Norway, all being male. Eastern Europe is the only UN regional group which has so far not been represented.

The General Assembly is expected to choose a replacement for Ban Ki-moon, who has been Secretary-General of the UN since 2007 and will conclude his term at the end of 2016.

Source: XINHUA