America
Make election of UN secretary-general an open, democratic process: India
United Nations, April 28
With the election of a
secretary-general looming next year amid rising major global
challenges, India has called for making the selection of a successor to
Ban Ki-moon an open, democratic process where all member nations have a
greater say.
Permanent Representative Asoke Kumar Mukerji told a
panel considering reforms to the election process that the Security
Council should present a slate of candidates, rather than just one, to
the General Assembly, which should elect one of them by two-thirds of
the votes.
In election process that has been followed so
far, the Security Council members-essentially the five veto-wielding
permanent ones-agree on one candidate leaving it to the General Assembly
to vote for or against the candidate. In practical terms though, the
other UN members do not have a real choice and the General Assembly
simply elects by acclamation the person anointed by the permanent
members through their back-room deals.
This process was
recommended as "desirable" in a 1946 General Assembly resolution, but
was not mandatory. Mukerji said that resolution should be amended to
incorporate the proposals he made.
"The United Nations
faces its most serious tests both in terms of credibility and
performance," Mukerji said, and the election of Ban's successor "gives
us an historic opportunity to change and improve the existing selection
process of the Secretary-General in the interests of the United Nations
system in general, and the Assembly's prerogatives in particular."
For
India, which has been campaigning against the concentration of powers
in the hands of the Security Council, the forthcoming election is an
opportunity to extend this mission. "The Secretary-General is often
unfortunately perceived to be a Secretary vis-Ã -vis the Security Council
and a General vis-Ã -vis the General Assembly," Mukerji said. "This
perception has to be reversed."
He said that
qualifications required of the candidates should be transparently drawn
up and these should include "commitment to the purposes and principles
of the Charter, extensive leadership, administrative and diplomatic
experience." In addition, regional rotation and gender equality should
be taken into account, he said.
Under the system of
regional rotation followed since the election of Myanmar's U Thant in
1961, it is a European's turn to follow Asia's Ban. No East European
has served in the UN's highest job, which has been held by three from
the West, and neither has a woman. Therefore, it is speculated that a
woman from East Europe will be a strong candidate next year.
In
opening up the process, Mukerji said, "We feel that candidates must be
required to present their views to all member-states of the General
Assembly" and adequate time should be allowed for formal presentations
and interaction with member nations.
Canada, which has
been campaigning for over a decade for reforms, also backed establishing
a set of core criteria for candidates. Canada's Ambassador Guillermo E.
Rishchynski said candidates should be given an opportunity to meet
with representatives of UN members.
There is growing support within the UN and at the grassroots for reforms broadly reflecting those proposed by India.
An
organization, "1 for 7 Billion," which is backed by about 50
nongovernmental organisations like Amnesty International, Forum Asia and
Avaaz, has launched a grassroots campaign for reforms. Many of its
proposals parallel India's and Monday it appealed to concerned citizens
around the world to joins its campaign through social media and mass
media and by lobbying goverenments.
(Arul Louis can be contacted at [email protected])