Will a Woman Hold Position of United Nations Secretary-General?

By Ayman Okeil

There is currently a growing controversy within United Nations, both in Geneva and New York, regarding the candidate most likely to be appointed as the next Secretary-General of United Nations. Mr. António Guterres, whose second term ends in late 2026, will be succeeded by this individual. Although it is still too early to predict the outcome, various non-governmental organizations, particularly those advocating women’s rights and gender equality, have initiated campaigns to rally support for the appointment of the first female Secretary-General. These campaigns were launched during the 55th session of the Human Rights Council and are ongoing, with the aim of continuing until the selection of next Secretary-General. These organizations hope that countries will refrain from fielding male candidates, thus providing an opportunity for a woman to assume the role for the first time. Several prominent figures within the United Nations system, such as His Excellency Abdulla Shahid, President of 76th session of General Assembly, have endorsed this campaign. Shahid stated in a press conference that “the time has come to appoint a woman as Secretary-General of United Nations.”

According to Article 97 of United Nations Charter, Secretary-General is selected by United Nations General Assembly based on recommendation of Security Council. Security Council recommendation follows a process in which member states of relevant geographical group submit nomination letters for their candidates. Security Council then convenes in closed sessions to decide on the selected candidate. Often, closed negotiations take place before reaching a final decision. If any of the five permanent members of Security Council exercise veto power against a candidate, the appointment process is disrupted. It is worth noting that the selection process follows a geographical rotation among the five United Nations groups. Therefore, the next Secretary-General, whether male or female, will be from Latin America and the Caribbean.

In accordance with General Assembly Resolution 321/69, gender balance must be taken into account in the nomination process for the Secretary-General position. Hence, the selection and appointment process is not limited to male candidates only. In fact, during the previous selection process in 2016, seven women ran as candidates for the position of Secretary-General. Out of the 13 candidates, the Security Council ultimately recommended the appointment of current Secretary-General, António Guterres of Portugal. Therefore, the procedures followed for selecting and appointing the Secretary-General of United Nations do not hinder women from reaching this position. However, it is noteworthy that since the establishment of United Nations, no woman has held the position of Secretary-General. All eight previous Secretaries-General have been men.

Therefore, there is a growing belief that it is crucial to push for the selection of a woman for the position of Secretary-General for the first time. Reports indicate that a group of highly qualified women from Latin America and the Caribbean have already taken significant steps to compete for the position. Among them are Dilma Rousseff, former President of Brazil, Michelle Bachelet, former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados. An opinion poll conducted by PassBlue media platform, which covers United Nations news, suggests that Michelle Bachelet is the frontrunner if a woman were to secure the position.

I deeply appreciate the campaigns advocating for a woman to hold the position of Secretary-General, and I firmly believe that women are more than capable of assuming this role. They have proven their leadership abilities in various high-ranking positions, such as Minister of Defense and Head of Government in significant countries. Recognizing that empowering women is essential in a world where half the population consists of women, I emphasize that the appointment should be based on competence and merit rather than solely on gender. The selection criteria for this position should not be biased towards either males or females.

In my view, it would be more meaningful and impactful for a woman to win the position of Secretary-General while competing against male candidates, rather than securing the position uncontested. The focus should not solely be on who holds the position, but rather on who can initiate a genuine reform process to address and overcoming the challenges faced by United Nations system.