NEW YORK(National Times)- The four candidates vying to become the next United Nations secretary general face live hearings on Tuesday and Wednesday on their bids to lead the troubled global organisation from next year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chile\u2019s Michelle Bachelet, Argentina\u2019s Rafael Grossi, Costa Rica\u2019s Rebeca Grynspan and Senegal\u2019s Macky Sall are competing for a five-year term at the helm of the 193-member body, which can be extended for another five.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While they are the only declared candidates so far, others can join in the race in the coming months. The next UN leader will face an enormous task to revitalise an organisation in crisis, whose stature has significantly diminished in recent years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Major powers, even as they increasingly flout long-held norms of international order, have pressed the UN to reform, slash costs, and prove its relevance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First up for three hours of grilling at UN headquarters in New York from member states and civil society representatives will be Bachelet and Grossi on Tuesday, followed by Grynspan and Sall on Wednesday. There are currently far fewer candidates for the role than in 2016, when incumbent Antonio Guterres of Portugal was chosen from a field of 13 contenders, seven of them women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The president of the UN General Assembly, Germany\u2019s Annalena Baerbock, described it as one of the toughest jobs in the world. \u201cBut it is also one of the most important as the next Secretary General will not only shape the future of this institution but in her or his role as the strongest defender of the UN Charter also that of the international rules-based order,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No woman has been chosen in the UN\u2019s 80-year history, despite growing calls to end this anomaly, and tradition has dictated that the role rotate between regions, with Latin America next in line. Another unwritten rule is that a secretary-general never comes from among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council \u2014 Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States \u2014 to avoid over-concentration of power, though their backing is crucial in a lengthy and arcane selection process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Proactive vision<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe need for a Secretary General prepared to defend a clear, proactive vision for the UN on peacemaking and crisis management could not be more urgent,\u201d the International Crisis Group\u2019s Daniel Forti wrote recently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf candidates and member states miss this opportunity, there may be little left of the UN to defend.\u201d Bachelet, 74, is a two-time president of Chile and a former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In March, her own country withdrew its backing for her candidacy after a right-wing shift in leadership, but she has retained support from Brazil and Mexico. Bachelet has faced criticism from US conservatives for her pro-choice views and this month Washington\u2019s UN envoy appeared to torpedo her bid by saying he shared concerns about her suitability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Grossi, a 65-year-old career diplomat and father of eight who speaks English, Spanish, French and Italian, has headed the UN nuclear watchdog for six years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In his vision statement, Grossi declared that \u201ceven in times of division, multilateral institutions can deliver real, positive impact.\u201d Grynspan, 70, a former vice president of Costa Rica who heads the UN Conference on Trade and Development, depicts herself as a reform-minded multilateralist with a lifelong belief in UN commitments to peace, development and human rights, who has battled gender barriers. \u201cI am not waiting for special treatment. I want equal treatment,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sall, 64, Senegal\u2019s president for 12 years until 2024, is a geologist and son of a peanut seller. Soft-spoken and more comfortable in French than English, he has championed African development and support for debt-burdened countries. \u201cMore than ever, a reinvented multilateralism remains the best way to respond to the challenges of a world in full transformation,\u201d he said on X.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
NEW YORK(National Times)- The four candidates vying to become the next United Nations secretary general face live hearings on Tuesday and Wednesday on their bids to lead the troubled global organisation from next year. Chile\u2019s Michelle Bachelet, Argentina\u2019s Rafael Grossi, Costa Rica\u2019s Rebeca Grynspan and Senegal\u2019s Macky Sall are competing for a five-year term at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":124567,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-124566","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n