What's In Blue

Posted Mon 13 Jun 2011

Appointment of the UN Secretary-General

The Security Council is expected to meet in a private session (as requested under the Provisional Rules of Procedure) on 16 June to formally recommend the re-appointment of the Secretary-General for the 2012-2016 term. Members of the Council met in informal consultations last Friday (10 June) to discuss the re-appointment of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who on 6 June announced that he is seeking a second term. His current tenure expires on 31 December. In the 10 June meeting Council members established that that there is consensus.

On 16 June the Council is expected to adopt a resolution formally recommending Ban’s re-appointment to the General Assembly. The recommendation is then forwarded to the president of the Assembly in a letter. The Assembly, which formally appoints the Secretary-General after the Councils’ recommendation, is expected to take up the matter on 21 June. (There is no distinction in the formal process for reappointing an incumbent Secretary-General from the process of electing a new Secretary-General.)

There seems to be wide support for Ban’s reappointment not only within the Council but also among other UN member states. Some Council members, including permanent members China, France, the UK and the US have issued statements of support for Ban’s candidacy. Media reports indicate that the fifth remaining permanent member, Russia, also supports Ban’s reappointment. Over the past several days Ban has been meeting with regional groups to obtain support. Several groups, such as the African and Asian groups, have publically demonstrated support of a second term.

Please see SCR’s Special Research Report on the Appointment of the UN Secretary-General for more details on the processes guiding the appointment of a Secretary-General.

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