21 June 2016: Secret voting in the United Nations
On July 21st the United Nations Security Council started the first round of secret “straw pool”. It is the process of voting to choose the next secretary-general who will take over the position after Ban Ki-moon. The second five-years Ban Ki-moon`s term ends on the 31st of December. Behind the scenes, is said that perhaps for the first time the head of the UN will be a woman. Decision is expected to be resolved in October by the 15-member of Security Council. They have to present one nominee to the General Assembly. However the decision will come down to the permanent members - Great Britain, France, China, Russia and the United States. Thanks to the new selection modes, all Member States have the opportunity to ask a question to the candidates.
Actually, there are eight candidates, four of whom are women. The strongest candidates are Argentine Foreign Minister Susana Malcorra, New Zealand's former prime minister and head of the UN Development Program Helen Clark and Antonio Guterres, a former prime minister of Portugal who led the UN refugee agency UNHCR.
The new successor will come at a time of high anxiety in global affairs as the United Nations grapples with the biggest refugee crisis since World War II and raging conflicts in the Middle East and Africa.
