In April, for the first time in its 70-year history, candidates vying for the position of U.N. secretary-general lined up before member states and the public to share their vision and position on highly contentious issues such as the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and the reform of the United Nations.
The race has proved to be unprecedented in the way the U.N. is vetting its next secretary-general. Many of those in positions of power at the U.N. General Assembly and U.N. Security Council have made a push for a more transparent process in the selection of the next U.N. head, while other groups have come together to rally behind a female to take charge of an institution struggling to uphold peace and human rights.
The race has also seen high-profile heads of different U.N. agencies and programs competing for the position, although candidates are now dropping and entering rapidly. Bulgaria is rumored to be considering another candidate — fellow Bulgarian Kristalina Georgieva — in place of Irina Bokova after the UNESCO director-general has failed to top the council polls. Christiana Figueres, meanwhile, has dropped out of the race, announcing her candidacy withdrawal on Twitter.
About the author
Jenny Lei Ravelo@JennyLeiRavelo
Jenny Lei Ravelo is a Devex Senior Reporter based in Manila. She covers global health, with a particular focus on the World Health Organization, and other development and humanitarian aid trends in Asia Pacific. Prior to Devex, she wrote for ABS-CBN, one of the largest broadcasting networks in the Philippines, and was a copy editor for various international scientific journals. She received her journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas.
