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British ambassador backs woman for top job at UN

Xinhua, July 4, 2015 Adjust font size:

Should the successor to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon be a woman? One of British leading diplomats thinks the hot seat should be occupied by a member of the so-called fairer sex.

Britain's Foreign and Commonwealth Office has issued a key speech delivered by its ambassador to the UN, Matthew Rycroft, in which he backs the idea of the UN choosing its first female secretary general.

It's high time for a woman to lead the UN, Rycroft declared earlier this year, saying it was in tune with the principle of equality.

"In order to get the best possible candidate for this job we need to maximize the number of women in the field," he said.

He said the UN should want to encourage, particularly, female applications from wherever they may be.

This fall the UN celebrates its 70th anniversary, and since its creation in 1945 it has been led by eight male holders of the top job.

In 2006 one female contender for the job of secretary general was among the seven 'short listed' candidates. She was Vaira Vike-Freiberga, President of Latvia.

Britain's Foreign and Commonwealth Office released Rycroft's speech to a meeting of the UN Accountability, Coherence and Transparency Group (ACT). Endit