After months of campaigning the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has elected Mr António Manuel de Oliveira Guterres of Portugal to serve as the ninth UN Secretary-General. Much has been made of his personal qualities and professional qualifications — but what can be said of the election itself? Was the open process a game changer or little more than window dressing?
In this election there were many voices, including Ban-ki Moon, calling for the next UN Chief to be a woman. There has never been a woman at the helm of the organisation and this election had formidable women running for the job who have international experience and personal gravitas to lead the UN through these turbulent times. For example, Irina Bokova and Helen Clark, heads of UNESCO and the UNDP respectively, both fit the criteria of what is needed in a Secretary-General.
Yet, in the end, despite being the most public election in the UN’s history, it was still the five permanent members of the Council – the USA, China, Russia, France and the UK – making the final decision in a closed session.
In the words of the US Ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power, the UNSC unanimously selected “a candidate whose experience, vision, and versatility across a range of areas proved compelling… a candidate who is prepared to cut past the jargon and the acronyms and the sterile briefings and get real. He knows the only measure of our work here is whether we are or are not helping and supporting real people.”
Still, the more open process has had positive effects. For example, all candidates appeared before the UN General Assembly to answer questions, which allowed UN Staff, Member States and civil society to understand their views and get a glimpse of what their administration would look like. It also served as a positive public information campaign, as it raised awareness of the pivotal nature of the job.
Primus inter pares
The Council clearly made a ‘safe bet‘ in electing Mr Guterres. He brings to the job national and international executive experience, he has worked on some of the most pressing issues the UN will face in the next decade. First, as a former European Prime Minister he has developed a strong relationship with the EU, NATO, the USA and he is seen by the Western world – which comprises of some of the main donor countries – as a reliable partner who will take their views seriously.
Second, as the outgoing UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) he has done remarkable work, building a good reputation also across the developing world. Mr Guterres overhauled the agency in order to make it flexible enough to respond to multiple crises simultaneously: including Iraq, Afghanistan, the Central African Republic and Sudan, which have variously experienced massive displacements, forced migration and humanitarian catastrophes. His experience will be crucial in crafting the UN’s policy for the refugee crises in Syria, among many others.
From a human rights perspective, his track record is inspiring, not only with regards to migrants and refugees. During his tenure at the UNHCR he has not shied away from challenging Member States to rethink their policies vis-à-vis refugees and forced migration; however, he has consistently sought consensus among all possible actors. This has given him credibility with donors, developing countries, NGOs and the UN system. In other words, he has proven to be capable of keeping his moral compass and to be pragmatic at the same time.
This is only the third time that the Council has elected a new candidate from within the UN system (Javier Pérez de Cuellar being the first and Kofi Annan being the second). While it should not be a requirement per se, having a Secretary-General who understands how the UN works and has navigated its waters at the highest levels is likely to be an advantage. The challenges the UN will face in the next decade are daunting: the incoming Secretary-General will have to manage 16 Peacekeeping Operations and probably manage the deployment of more; he will need to improve inter-agency cooperation, curtail bureaucracy, and work towards the 2030 Agenda – all whilst dealing with budget cuts.
From the outset it seems that Mr Guterres is a choice that would have impressed former UNSG Dag Hammarskjöld and former UNHCR Sergio Viera de Mello – both of whom lost their lives in service to the UN. I personally hope that his previous experience and personal qualities allow him to hit the ground running on 1 January 2017 and to make a positive impact on the future of this organisation.
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NOTA BENE
The opinions expressed here are the author’s own; they do not necessarily reflect the views of UNU.