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UN begins soliciting candidates for next Secretary-General

Xinhua, December 16, 2015 Adjust font size:

President of the UN General Assembly Mogens Lykketoft said on Tuesday that the UN began soliciting candidates and set in motion the process of selecting and appointing the next UN Secretary-General.

In a press briefing at the UN headquarters in New York, Lykketoft issued a joint letter which serves to begin this process in accordance with the UN Charter and guided by the principles of transparency and inclusivity.

The letter was signed by Lykketoft and Samantha Power, Permanent U.S. Representative to the UN and Security Council's president for December, said Lykketoft.

The position of Secretary-General is one of great importance that requires the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, said the letter.

In light of calls for a female Secretary-General, "Member States are encouraged to consider presenting women, as well as men, as candidates for the position," it said.

Although "some candidates have already emerged," Member States presenting candidates are asked to do so in a letter to the President of the General Assembly and the President of the Security Council, it said.

The Security Council will begin its selection by the end of July 2016, according to the letter.

An election is due to be held in 2016 to determine who succeeds Ban Ki-moon whose term as the eighth United Nations Secretary-General will conclude on Dec. 31, 2016.

According to the UN charter, the Secretary-General shall be appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council.

Currently, the Security Council carries out the selection process behind closed doors before presenting its candidate to the General Assembly. Over the years, there have been calls for reforming the selection and appointment of the Secretary-General.

In October, Lykketoft addressed at a Security Council annual debate on working methods and stressed that "the process for selecting the next person at the helm must be as open and as thorough as possible." Enditem