Who Will be the Next Secretary-General?

I am part of an online group called the Nonprofit Blog Exchange , a group of over 100 blogs written by nonprofits, or that are about nonprofit related projects.

Once in a while the Exchange asks its members to write about another blog in the Exchange to help expose it to new readers so . . . I was assigned the Who Will Be the Next Secretary General blog.

Here's a little background for folks like me who didn't realize that UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's term expires on December 31, 2006. The Secretary-General is appointed to a five year term. Usually he or she serves two terms, but sometimes only one. Typically, the position rotates by geographic region and the next Secretary-General is supposed to come from Asia. Wikipedia (where I got the above info.) has a cool chart with info. about who the former UN Secretary-Generals have been.

In addition to its blog, the UNSG.com web site has lists and bios of official, and possible, candidates for the position, and explains the selection process.

Considering that the UN Secretary General is supposed to be:

Equal parts diplomat and advocate, civil servant and CEO, the Secretary-General is a symbol of United Nations ideals and a spokesman for the interests of the world's peoples, in particular the poor and vulnerable among them.

It seems important to keep an eye on the selection process and to learn more about the calls for reform of that process.


image via un.org

United Nations
secretary general