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2021 United Nations Secretary-General selection

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2021 United Nations Secretary-General selection
←2016 SC: 8 June 2021
GA: 18 June 2021		 2026 →
Nominee António Guterres
Country Portugal
Result Acclaimed
Secretary General before election

António Guterres

 Elected Secretary General

António Guterres

AUnited Nations Secretary-General selectionwas held in June 2021 to choose theSecretary-Generalof theUnited Nations.IncumbentAntónio Guterreswas the only official candidate for the position. On June 8, 2021, Guterres was unanimously recommended by theUnited Nations Security Council(SC) for a second term at the helm of the organisation. His re-election was ratified by theUnited Nations General Assembly(GA) by acclamation on June 18, 2021, without a vote. Guterres commenced his second term on 1 January 2022.[1]

Background[edit]

See also:United Nations Secretary-General selection

Article 97 of theUnited Nations Charter,states "The Secretary-General shall be appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council". As a result, the selection is subject to the veto of any of the five permanent members of theSecurity Council.[2]The Charter's minimal language has since been supplemented by other procedural rules and accepted practices.[3]

Although different regions have held the office, no secretary fromEastern Europehas ever been selected Secretary-General. No woman has ever been selected either.[3]In 2016 there were various international campaigns to select an eastern European or a woman.[4][5][6]Despite this, the selection was won by the only candidate who was neither female nor from Eastern Europe. In 2021, some groups attempted to revive the campaign to elect a woman at the helm of the United Nations,[7]but no female candidate was nominated by a member state to be considered by the Security Council.

Candidates[edit]

In order to be eligible for selection, a candidate must be nominated by at least one member state.[8][9]On June 8, the day the security council convened to recommend a candidate to the general assembly, there was only one official candidate in the selection process (incumbent Antonio Guterres), and seven additional self-declared applicant candidates.[10]

Official Candidates[edit]

The incumbent Secretary GeneralAntónio Guterresconfirmed he would be seeking a second five-year term.[11]

Official candidates
Image Name Prior experience Nominator Nominated Regional group
António Guterres Prime Minister of Portugal(1995–2002)
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees(2005–2015)
Secretary-General of the United Nations(2017–) 		Portugal 26 February 2021[12] Western European and Others Group(WEOG)

Other notable declared candidate[edit]

  • Rosalía Arteaga,President ofEcuadorfrom February 9, 1997, to February 11, 1997. This candidate was proposed by the Forward campaign, an initiative promoted by Colombe Cahen-Salvador and Andrea Venzon of the Atlas Movement.[7]

Campaign[edit]

By May 2021, Incumbent Antonio Guterres had already secured the support of all fivepermanent members of the United Nations Security Council,theEuropean Unionand of theNon-Aligned Movement,leading some observers to believe that his re-election was almost a certainty.[13][14]

Endorsements[edit]

Rosalía Arteaga
Private citizens
António Guterres
Nations
Organisations

Results[edit]

On June 8, 2021, the Security Council unanimously adopted aresolutionrecommending António Guterres for a second term at the helm of the United Nations. His re-election was ratified by theUnited Nations General Assemblyby acclamation on June 18, 2021, without a vote.[1]

References[edit]

  1. ^ab"Antonio Guterres Reelected as United Nations Secretary General".msn.Retrieved18 June2021.
  2. ^Chesterman, Simon (2007). "Introduction". In Chesterman, Simon (ed.).Secretary or General? The UN Secretary-General in World Politics.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 7.
  3. ^ab"UN Secretary-General".UNElections.org.Archived fromthe originalon 19 November 2017.Retrieved17 November2014.
  4. ^Ravelo, Jenny Lei (5 January 2016)."The next UN secretary-general: 7 women to consider".Devex.
  5. ^"Time for a Woman: United Nations—it's been over 70 years, elect a female Secretary-General".Equality Now.Archived fromthe originalon 21 October 2016.Retrieved15 October2016.
  6. ^Jordan, Chuck (26 August 2016)."The next UN Secretary General should be from Eastern Europe".The Hill.Retrieved16 April2021.
  7. ^abcVon Hammerstein, Leonie (8 May 2021)."Could Rosalia Arteaga become the first woman to lead the UN?".Deutsche Welle.
  8. ^"Meet the Canadian millennial running to lead the United Nations".CBC.Retrieved9 April2021.
  9. ^"Selection and Appointment of the Secretary-General of the United Nations".un.org.General Assembly of the United Nations.Archivedfrom the original on 8 February 2021.Retrieved15 April2021.
  10. ^"Selection of next UN secretary-general enters phase of vision statement hearing".xinhuanet.5 May 2021.Archivedfrom the original on 5 May 2021.Retrieved18 May2021.
  11. ^"Guterres to seek second five-year term as UN Secretary-General".UN News.11 January 2021.Retrieved1 March2021.
  12. ^abLopes, Francisco Duarte; et al. (26 February 2021)."Joint letter from the President of the General Assembly and the President of the Security Council, forwarding a communication received from the Permanent Mission of Portugal presenting Mr. António Guterres as a candidate for re-appointment to the position of Secretary-General"(PDF).United Nations.Permanent Mission of Portugal.Archived(PDF)from the original on 27 February 2021.
  13. ^"Why the UN chief race might wrap sooner than expected".Devex.7 May 2021.Retrieved16 May2021.
  14. ^abcdePicard, Maurin (7 May 2021)."Antonio Guterres défend sa réélection à la tête de l'ONU".Le Figaro(in French).Retrieved16 May2021.
  15. ^Đàm hân vũ (21 January 2021)."FM spokesperson supports Guterres for second UN term".China Daily.Archivedfrom the original on 23 January 2021.Retrieved15 April2021.
  16. ^"Germany 'delighted' by UN chief Antonio Guterres' 2nd term".Deutsche Welle.29 January 2021.Archivedfrom the original on 29 January 2021.Retrieved15 April2021.
  17. ^"India conveys support for re-election of Antonio Guterres as UN Secretary General".The Times of India.26 May 2021.Retrieved31 May2021.
  18. ^"Pakistan backs Antonio Guterres for second term as UN Secretary-General".Business Standard India.Press Trust of India. 19 March 2021.Retrieved19 April2021.
  19. ^"Guterres to run for second term as UN chief: official".MSN.AFP.11 January 2021.Archivedfrom the original on 30 January 2021.Retrieved15 April2021.
  20. ^Fillion,Stephanie (29 April 2021)."Rosalía Arteaga, a Short-Lived President of Ecuador, Wants to Run Against the UN's Guterres".PassBlue.Retrieved22 May2021.

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