New York, 19 September 2006 – Although Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan told the Financial Times that he was a candidate for Secretary-General and it would be announced formally yesterday, the Afghan mission, Security Council President’s office, and Greek mission (which holds the Council presidency this month) today all declined to confirm his nomination.

Correction: Yesterday’s Latest Development (Issue 18) stated that the first woman to be nominated for UN Secretary-General was then-Prime Minister of Norway, Gro Harlem Brundtland, in 1991. But a colleague from the Security Council Report has informed us that a precedent for her nomination has existed since 1953. Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit of India, who also was the first woman president of the General Assembly, was nominated by the Soviet Union to replace Trygve Lie, after three other candidates had been vetoed out. But she only earned two positive votes and was vetoed by China. Dag Hammarskjöld was nominated next upon the Council’s western members’ suggestion, and he was selected for recommendation to the General Assembly.