Leadership for Peace
Expected Council Action
In December, Slovenia plans to convene an open debate on “Leadership for Peace” under the “Maintenance of international peace and security” agenda item. Former UN Secretary-General and member of The Elders, Ban Ki-moon, is expected to brief. A woman civil society representative may also brief. The open debate will be the signature event of Slovenia’s December presidency.
Rising geopolitical instability, proliferating armed conflicts, disregard for international law, and acute financial shortfalls continue to place significant strain on the multilateral system, and the UN in particular. Against this backdrop, and with the formal phase of the selection and appointment process for the next UN Secretary-General just starting, the open debate plans to focus on the qualities needed for the next Secretary-General to navigate the current fraught international environment.
Among other issues, the open debate is likely to invite reflections on how the UN and the next Secretary-General can adjust to the rapidly evolving global order while preserving the organisation’s unique role and the principles enshrined in the UN Charter. Slovenia may encourage members to focus on issues such as conflict prevention and the use of Article 99 of the UN Charter, which empowers the Secretary-General with the capacity to bring to the attention of the Security Council any matter which may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security. The meeting may also prompt discussion on how member states and the Security Council can better support the next Secretary-General in addressing these challenges. It appears that this will be the Council’s first formal open meeting dedicated specifically to these issues.
Background and Key Recent Developments
The current UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, will complete his second term on 31 December 2026. In line with General Assembly resolution 79/327 of 5 September on the revitalisation of the work of the General Assembly, the process of selection and appointment of the next Secretary-General is to start with a joint letter from the presidents of the Security Council and the General Assembly.
The joint letter issued on 25 November begins soliciting candidates for the position while also setting out the modalities for submitting and considering nominations. Among other things, it says that the position of Secretary-General “requires the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity and a firm commitment to the purposes and principles” of the UN Charter. The letter invites candidates with “proven leadership and managerial abilities, extensive experience in international relations and strong diplomatic, communication and multilingual skills”. The letter notes “with regret” that no woman has ever held the position of Secretary-General and encourages UN member states to “strongly consider nominating women as candidates”. It also notes the “importance of regional diversity in the selection of Secretaries-General”.
While these elements align with language used in General Assembly resolution 79/327, proposals from the ten elected Council members (E10) to add additional references to, for instance, independence, political leadership, and commitment to multilateralism and international law, were opposed by the permanent members (P5) and were not included in the joint letter. (For more information, see our 25 November What’s in Blue story.)
This marks the third time that a joint letter is being used to start the process. The first time was during the process that led to Guterres’ appointment. The second occasion was prior to his reappointment.
The December open debate is in continuity with the open debate on “Leadership for Peace” which Slovenia organised during its previous Council presidency, in September 2024. The event focused on leadership in strengthening multilateralism in light of eroding respect for the UN Charter, deep divisions at the Security Council, and its loss of credibility in connection to its lack of action, including regarding the wars in Gaza, Sudan, and Ukraine. The briefers were UN Secretary-General António Guterres; President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Mirjana Spoljaric Egger; and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former President of Liberia and a member of The Elders. At the open debate, speakers expressed concern over growing geopolitical divisions and the Council’s lack of effectiveness, urging consistent adherence to international humanitarian law and renewed commitment to multilateralism and conflict prevention.
At the start of the open debate, the Council adopted a presidential statement authored by Slovenia. The presidential statement reaffirmed the principles set forth in the UN Charter and underscored the need to strengthen resolve to maintain international peace and security. It stressed the need for universal adherence to international law, while emphasising the importance that the Council attaches to promoting justice and the rule of law. The presidential statement also reiterated the Council’s strong support for the protection of civilians in armed conflict and the need to promote women’s full, equal, meaningful, and safe participation and leadership at all levels of decision-making. The statement also stressed the importance of upholding multilateralism with the UN at the centre of the multilateral system. It further expressed the Council’s commitment to fulfilling its responsibilities “in the most effective manner”.
Key Issues and Options
A key issue for Council members is how best to identify a candidate for the post of Secretary-General who is able to effectively navigate the current difficult international environment, mounting political pressures, declining credibility of the Security Council, persisting financial constraints affecting the continuity of UN operations, and the implications of the UN80 process for the organisation and its personnel.
An option could be for Slovenia to produce a chair’s summary capturing the major themes of the open debate. This could be a useful document to map Council members’ understanding of the issues discussed without requiring negotiated outcomes. It would also help to highlight areas of convergence while documenting the range of views expressed, which could support the Council’s deliberations on this matter going forward.
In addition, such a document could assist Council members in determining the areas they may want to focus on when they meet candidates who have chosen to run for the position of UN Secretary-General.
Council Dynamics
Negotiations around the content and modalities of the joint letter formally starting the selection and appointment process of the next Secretary-General have been shaped by P5–E10 faultlines. The E10 initially proposed more ambitious language, including around steps of the process and a clearer description of the qualities and expertise that the new Secretary-General should possess. Even though there were differences among some of the E10 on the relative importance of specific aspects of the selection process and regarding how much pressure the E10 should apply to ensure their positions were reflected in the letter, E10 unity was maintained during the letter’s negotiation. The P5, for their part, opposed provisions they felt would constrain flexibility, such as clear deadlines or formulations perceived as encouraging a deliberative role for the General Assembly. Overall, these dynamics reflect longstanding tensions over the respective roles of the Council and the General Assembly, and the challenge of balancing the P5’s Charter-conferred privileges with demands for greater transparency.
The September 2024 open debate on “Leadership for Peace” highlighted deep divisions over the drivers of the crises affecting international peace and security as well as over the Council’s role in addressing them. This was particularly evident in Council members’ contrasting views on the way forward and responsibility for the wars in Gaza and Ukraine. Sierra Leone said that the Council’s deliberations are increasingly “clouded by geopolitical rivalry, turning the Council from a forum for diplomacy into a battleground for national interests” with damaging consequences not only for the Council’s credibility but also for “the lives of millions of innocent women, men and children”. Citing the wars in Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan, Slovenia emphasised the harmful impact of the “impression of double standards” and the Council’s increasing reluctance to use its toolbox to deal with “crises and conflicts”, warning that the warring parties’ perceptions of impunity for violations contributed to soaring civilian casualties. Similarly, Guyana raised concern over the erosion of respect for the Charter, calling for the consistent application of international law.
Although the Council has turned its attention to newer developments and some crises have entered different phases, the positions evident during the 2024 open debate have not fundamentally shifted.
| Security Council Presidential Statement | |
| 25 September 2024S/PRST/2024/5 | This was a presidential statement authored by Slovenia. It reaffirmed the Security Council’s commitment to international law, including the UN Charter, and expressed the Council’s commitment to fulfilling its responsibilities “in the most effective manner”. |
| General Assembly Document | |
| 5 September 2025A/RES/79/327 | This was a resolution on the revitalization of the work of the General Assembly. |
