U.N. to Begin Talks on Annan's Successor

By Edith M. Lederer
March 29, 2006
The Washington Post
Original Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/29/AR2006032900508.html

UNITED NATIONS -- The U.N. Security Council agreed to start formal discussions this summer to choose a successor to Secretary-General Kofi Annan, with Asian countries pushing candidates from their region.
The 15-nation council held an informal discussion Tuesday on a replacement for Annan, whose second five-year term ends Dec. 31. Britain suggested candidates present a manifesto on why they want the job and what they would like to achieve as the world's top diplomat.
The position must be approved by the 191-member U.N. General Assembly, based on a recommendation from the Security Council, where the five permanent members _ the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France _ have veto power.
Informal consultations will continue next month under China's presidency and formal discussions are expected to start in June or July, with a decision between September and November, said Argentina's U.N. Ambassador Cesar Mayoral, the Security Council president.
By tradition, the job of secretary-general rotates by region _ and Asian and African nations, who represent the majority of U.N. members, believe it is Asia's turn to lead the United Nations.
The Asian group has been courting support from Latin America but has run into opposition from the United States and some European countries who say the best qualified candidate should be selected, regardless of his country.
We have some names, some ideas, Mayoral said. But formally, we need to know if there will be first, regional rotation or not. That, I think, is instrumental to decide.
U.S. Ambassador John Bolton has argued that in practice there has been no geographical rotation because three secretary-generals have come from Western Europe, two from Africa, one from Latin America, one from Asia and none from Eastern Europe.
Britain's U.N. Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry said quite a lot of members of the council favor rotation and most insist on a candidate who is very highly qualified for the job.
If that person is an Asian, then those who argue that it should be an Asian's turn, then their interest is met, Jones Parry said. For those who say the important thing is the quality, provided there is a candidate who actually can do the job and who comes forward from Asia, then that too meets the wishes of those who emphasize the quality.
He said Britain would like to see that people who put themselves forward actually present a manifesto. It should include why they want the job and what they want to achieve for the United Nations and the secretary-general, he said.
Mayoral said he would meet with General Assembly President Jan Eliasson later this week to discuss the election process.
We know that a key role is played by the Security Council and the permanent members, Eliasson said. But I'm glad there is a communication opening between the Security Council and the General Assembly.
So far, the announced candidates are all Asian. They include South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon, Thai Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai, who is backed by the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and former U.N. disarmament chief Jayantha Dhanapala of Sri Lanka, who recently represented his country's government in peace talks with the Tamil Tigers.