Get Rid of Kofi Annan, We Need New UN Leadership
It is time for new blood to come in and rejuvenate the UN. It is time for stronger cohesive leadership. As I review the UN website, I see that the UN has done great things as a humanitarian relief resource over the past years, but I also see a lack of guidance in times of trouble.
In America we have a term for the lack of effectiveness near the end of a term of an incumbent President - a lame duck. With Kofi Annan cycling out at the end of this year, we need to see strong new proactive leadership starting to emerge. At this point however, I see none!
As I did research on the Web, it became apparent that the General Secretary is selected in an unusual way.
As I read further in Wikipedia about the process of of the selection of the new General Secretary of the UN, it is apparent that this is not a democratic process but a "club selection". A powerful cohesive leader is never selected as they are too polarizing to the greater group and would take over some of the control of stronger UN members. This process of selection assures that a real leader is never selected.The Secretary-General is appointed to a five year term.
UN Secretaries-General usually serve two consecutive terms, but sometimes only one. The Secretary-General is appointed by the General Assembly, on the recommendation of the Security Council.
Therefore, the selection is subject to the veto of any of the five permanent members of the Security Council.
By convention, the position rotates by geographic region, but since Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt served only one term, a successor from Africa, Kofi Annan of Ghana, was chosen. When Annan had finished his first term, the member states were so impressed with his performance that he was appointed for a second term despite the fact that the next Secretary-General should have been from Asia. There has not yet been a Secretary-General from North America or Oceania.
Most Secretaries-General are compromise-candidates from middle powers and with
little prior fame. High-profile candidates are often touted for the job, but are
almost always rejected as unpalatable to some.
Wikipedia also mentions some possible canidates:
It appears that even with Kofi Annan leaving at the end of this year the reality is that we will not see strong leadership at the United Nations.Some consider it to be Asia's turn to fill the post. No announcement has been made, but behind the scenes China is already pushing the candidacy of Thai Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai, who also seems to have the support of the U.S., RRussia, and Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Former Foreign Minister of Timor-Leste and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate José Ramos-Horta is also considered a strong candidate, as is Jayantha Dhanapala of Sri Lanka. Dhanapala is well reputed in UN circles especially for his contribution to disarmament issues.
Other possible candidates are South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon; undersecretary general for the department of public information Shashi Tharoor of India; Gro Harlem Brundtland, former Prime Minister of Norway and former director General of the WHO; Tarja Halonen, the current President of Finland; Vaira
Vīķe-Freiberga, the current President of Latvia, and Aleksander Kwaśniewski, the former President of Poland.
There is also a strong feeling that it should be a female Secretary-General this time, because secretaries for the past 60 years have all been men. Current New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark, and former New Zealand Governor-General Dame Silvia Cartwright have been tipped as candidates after being promoted by international women's group Equality Now.
It appears that it will be business as usual, strong nations on the security council making decisions out of political and economic self interest that does not benefit the larger group. I am not holding my breath for a new leader to replace Annan that will be a consensus builder, I do not believe that the UN has the fortitude to select a leader of this nature.
