Member States have come together in the Working Group on General Assembly Revitalization to consider the possibility of further reforms related to the selection of the Secretary-General. Among the issues discussed were the question of single term non-renewable appointment, and the possibility of multiple candidates nominated by the Security Council.
The candid discussion revealed strongly divergent views on the single term non-renewable appointment, and the possibility of multiple candidates to be nominated by the Secretary Council. On one hand, support was announced for wider authority of the General Assembly, including taking decisions the above-mentioned pertinent issues.
However, other important countries favored no further changes at this time, since the selection process has already started with six candidates nominated, and dates for hearings already set. Even the ACT Group could not agree completely on the merits, while the group strongly supported full consideration of the two questions.
Hungary advocated for full implementation of the already agreed preform provision of the selection process. On the two remaining issues it still have to be seen whether the new rules, if any, would be agreed on in such a time so that they would be applicable for the next Secretary-General. Hungary also noted that the introduction of the single term rule could improve chances for the implementation of principles related to geographical rotation and gender balance. Fairness dictates that a decision on single term appointment is not taken on a case-by-case basis, but it must become the general norm for the future Secretaries-General to come.
