With the UN Security Council due to begin deliberations on Secretary-General candidates next month, leaders of UN Youth Associations around the country have signed an open letter to Council members, calling for a more "transparent and competitive" process to select the UN leader.
The letter, which has been signed by 40 presidents of UNA Youth and model UN groups, recognises the importance of an independent and representative UN Secretary-General to securing "a strong and effective multilateral system".
While the youth leaders welcome the improvements that have already been made to the selection process - such as informal dialogues between candidates and all UN member states - they argue that more must be done. In particular, they call on the Security Council to only consider publicly-declared candidates, arguing that the appointment of a candidate who had not taken part in open discussions with the wider UN membership would undermine the recent reforms and "severely tarnish" the reputation of the Security Council and that of its members.
The letter also urges the Council to break away from its 70-year tradition of nominating a single candidate to be rubber-stamped by the UN General Assembly. The youth leaders instead urge the Council to put forward more than one candidate, giving the wider UN membership a meaningful say in the process.
Finally, the letter reflects the calls of our 1 for 7 Billion campaign in urging the General Assembly to appoint the next UN leader for a single, non-renewable term of office. The youth leaders recognise that a single, longer term would strengthen the independence of the next leader, giving her or him the political space to take decisive action in moments of crisis.
UNA-UK welcomes this letter from UNA Youth leaders, which promotes the aims and values of our 1 for 7 Billion campaign and demonstrates the support of young people across the country for a more effective United Nations. The letter was sent to all members of the UN Security Council and the President of the General Assembly.
