Statement by Mr. Olegs Ilgis, DPR of Latvia to the UN, at the Ad Hoc Working Group on GA Revitalization, Thematic Debate on the Selection and Appointment of the Secretary-General and other Executive Heads
New York, 20 February 2025
Distinguished Co-Chairs, colleagues,
First, allow me to align with the statement of the European Union and its Member States, as well as the statement of the Group of Countries on Gender Rotation and statement of ACT group.
We sincerely hope that today’s discussion and the following meetings of this Ad Hoc Working Group will result in a more effective, coherent and transparent United Nations Organization on the eve of its 80th anniversary.
Co-Chairs,
Last year the General Assembly adopted a landmark resolution – the Pact for the Future - a document which provides guidance for the future of the Organization. As part of the larger project to revitalize the General Assembly and the work of the Organization as a whole, Action 42 of the pact expresses Members’ commitment to improve the selection and appointment process of the Secretary-General. Consensus has been achieved that the future process should be guided by the principles of merit, transparency and inclusiveness, and with due regard to gender balance and regional rotation.
Latvia strongly supports revitalization of the United Nations system along the lines of Resolution 77/335 and believes that further strengthening accountability, institutional efficiency and transparency is a vital part of the effort to create a more effective and inclusive multilateralism. An important element in this effort is improving the process of selecting and appointing the Secretary-General and other executive heads. In this regard, we offer three principal approaches.
First, transparency of the process. There is a great need to start the process promptly in order to ensure early nominations with enough time for delegations to conduct review and consult their capitals. Therefore, imminent nomination of candidates to allow for sufficient time for them to communicate their vision and conduct dialogue between candidates and wider UN membership, is paramount. We expect the nominees to present clear priorities and demonstrate transparency, including voluntarily disclosure of funding sources relating to their candidature. In addition, we look forward to continuing the discussion with all member states on the consideration of a longer, single, non-renewable term for future Secretary Generals. In this respect, we look forward to building on the consensus reached in resolution 75/325.
Second, the selection process should reflect inclusiveness and diversity of the UN membership. Since creation of the UN, women have played a crucial role in shaping and advancing the organization in different roles, nevertheless in 79 years no woman has ascended to the top executive role. Recalling paragraph 68 of the General Assembly resolution 75/325 we encourage Member States to be mindful of this historic gender disparity and nominate female candidates.
Third, there is a need for standardization of procedures and timelines. Article 97 of the UN Charter states that the Secretary-General shall be appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council. Since the Charter provides so little guidance, practical steps and procedures have been largely left to common practice. Drawing from past experience, we note that the process has been lacking in transparency and inclusiveness. Therefore, standardization would provide clarity and equal participation of all states. We hope to see consensus among Member States about the urgency of having a clear timeline and the need for a thorough selection procedure. Consequently, we invite an early call for applications, followed by nominations of candidates well in advance in 2025 to allow sufficient time for a full evaluation.
In conclusion, we are confident that under the skilled leadership of the Co-Chairs this Working Group can achieve substantive results, such as ensuring practical steps are agreed upon and taken for the upcoming appointment of the next, hopefully, Madame Secretary-General.
Thank you!