10 July 2006, New York –– Alongside the General Assembly’s efforts to increase the transparency and inclusiveness of the selection process for the next UN Secretary-General, civil society attention on the issue also has intensified in the past several weeks.

Please find below relevant initiatives and updates.

1. Civil Society Initiatives

Center for UN Reform Education (CURE) Interviews Candidates

In an effort to increase transparency regarding the background and views of each candidate, the Center for UN Reform (CURE) has conducted interviews with Ban Ki Moon, Jayantha Dhanapala, Surakiart Sathirathai, and Vaira Vike-Freiberga. The latter has not been nominated formally by a Member State. The interviews are available at www.centerforunreform.org/sgelection/index.htm.

Security Council Report Produces Three Analyses of Current Selection Process

Security Council Report has issued three timely “update reports” on the appointment of the UN Secretary-General. February’s report discusses the traditions and rules of the selection process.

The June report works through Canada’s proposal for greater transparency and General Assembly involvement in the appointment process. It analyzes the chances of reforming the process and steps needed to realize change. For example, the GA has the power to repeal Resolution 11(1) which states that a single candidate is “desirable;” this would give the Security Council the option of recommending more than one candidate to the GA. However, the report notes that significant changes to the appointment process are made less likely by the other pressures on delegations due to ongoing, broader reform initiatives. Political resistance to expanding GA authority vis-à-vis the Security Council is also an obstacle.

The third update report addresses the implications of Security Council’s recent decision to conduct a straw poll of candidates later this month. This is discussed in more detail under “Government Initiatives,” below.

United Nations Association of the U.S. (UNA-USA) Reviews History of SG Selection

In May, the United Nations Association of the USA (UNA-USA) released a report assessing selection of Secretaries-General throughout UN history and offering suggestions for the upcoming process to replace Kofi Annan. Based on consultations with Member State representatives, UN officials, civil society representatives, and scholarly experts, the report concludes that region should not be the primary consideration in selecting the next SG, that the SG should be a leader and diplomat first and a manager second, and that a UN insider is less preferable to someone with a “fresh perspective.” The report also recommends that the General Assembly have an expanded role in the selection process, specifically by identifying candidates at the same time as the Security Council so that each body can consider the others’ list of names. It also finds that the Security Council should recommend multiple candidates to the GA – a proposal with both strong supporters and opponents and which seems unlikely to succeed this year. For more detail on Member States’ positions on reform proposals, see “Government Initiatives.”

2. Government Initiatives

Communication from Security Council Signals a Discreet Process

Based on the 2 June letter from the then-President of the Security Council to the President of the General Assembly, and a 6 July communication from French Ambassador Jean-Marc de La Sablière of France as the new President of the Security Council, the process of considering candidates looks likely to begin on a discreet note.

Consideration of the officially presented candidates is to begin this week. To date, three candidates have been submitted the Council as official nominees: Surakiart Sathirathai of Thailand, Jayantha Dhanapala of Sri Lanka, and Shashi Tharoor of India. The Council’s 15 members will assess the nominees through informal consultations. Later this month, the Security Council will use the traditional method of straw polling to test nominees’ viability and convey these results confidentially to candidates so as to allow for voluntary withdrawals. However, the specific votes of the five permanent members will not be disclosed, although because of their veto power their preferences will be decisive in the eventual recommendation to the GA. The Security Council will continue to consider candidates until late September, said Ambassador de La Sablière. He indicated that the GA would receive the Council’s recommendations by early October, so as to give the incoming Secretary-General three months to prepare for the role.

While the 2 June and 6 July letters expressed Security Council willingness for greater transparency and inclusiveness, the procedures they describe do not change the closed-door nature of the process or prevent the emergence of “dark horse” candidates later in the process. In this sense, selection of the next SG, to date, is similar to past selection processes.

Security Council President’s 6 July Letter on SG Appointment

Member States’ Positions on Reform of Selection Process

In addition to Canada and India, several member states have taken positions on reform of the SG selection process. They are summarized in this document, which is also available at www.UNSGselection.org.

Summary of Member States Positions on the Selection of the Secretary-General