NBC News: “Is the U.N. Ready for a Female Secretary General?”

World | March 31, 2016, Thursday // 17:22
Bulgaria: NBC News: “Is the U.N. Ready for a Female Secretary General?”

No organized opposition has yet emerged to the idea that the time is right for a woman to become the next United Nations Secretary-General, Mike Brunker and Alex Lazar write in an article carried by NBC News.

The authors make an overview of the complex process of selecting a nominee who would be acceptable to majority of the U.N.'s 193 General Assembly members.

The procedure requires the U.N. Security Council to recommend a candidate for appointment to the General Assembly, which then makes the appointment by a two-thirds voting majority.

“That means the U.S. and Russia, in particular, can be expected to exert considerable influence and pressure in the months remaining before the council makes its recommendation, a process that is expected to begin in late July and conclude by early September,” according to the authors

With Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon scheduled to step down at the end of the year after a second term at the helm of the world organization, “a strong push is underway to appoint a woman to replace him.” The appointment of the first female U.N. chief “would send a message of equality that would be heard around the globe,” according to proponents of the idea, the authors say.

Out of the seven official candidates nominated so far to replace Ban Ki-Moon three are women:  UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova of Bulgaria; former Croatian Foreign Minister Vesna Pusic and former Moldovan Foreign Minister Natalia Gherman.

Many observers consider Bokova to be the front-runner “both because she is highly qualified woman and hails from Eastern Europe.” The second point, the authors explain, is playing in Bokova’s favour because of a practice of "regional rotation" that has been considered in selecting previous U.N chiefs.

Yet, this practice is not carved in stone and has both its proponents and opponents. With no formal deadline for submitting nominations, late female entries from regions other than Eastern Europe “could significantly alter the race,” the authors say, citing political observers.

You can read the whole article “Is the U.N. Ready for a Female Secretary General?” here.

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Tags:       United Nations, Irina Bokova, Secretary-General, NBC News, Vesna Pusic, Natalia Gherman

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