/REPEATING FOR POINTS NEEDING/POLITICS: Annan to Run for Second Term as Secretary-General

By Thalif Deen Reprint | | Print |

Thalif Deen

UNITED NATIONS, Mar 23 2001 (IPS) - Secretary-General Kofi Annan announced Thursday that he is willing to run for a second five-year term as chief executive officer of the United Nations.

“If the member states decide to offer me a second term as Secretary-General, I shall be deeply honoured to accept,” he told reporters.

“There is a great deal still to be done to make the United Nations, this indispensable organisation, into an effective instrument humanity needs, in this new century, to fulfil the hopes for peace, development and human rights. If asked, I am ready to serve,” he added.

Annan, who is a national of Ghana, is the second African to be Secretary-General, after Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt.

The post was previously held by Trygve Lie of Norway (1946-1953); Dag Hammarskjold of Sweden (1953-1961); U.Thant of Burma (1961-1971); Kurt Waldheim of Austria (1972-1981); Javier Perez de Cuellar of Peru (1982- 1991); and Boutros Boutros-Ghali (1992-1996).

Annan, who is due to finish his first five-year term in December, has to get the blessings of the 15-member Security Council and the 189-member General Assembly for a second five-year term beginning January 2002. This includes the support of all five permanent members of the Security Council (the P-5) – namely the United States, United Kingdom, France, China and Russia – who have veto powers over candidates.

Asked if he had any indications of support from the P-5, Annan said: “I will leave the P-5 to speak for themselves”, but added he had a good working relationship with all five permanent members.

The only opposition could come from the Asian Group of countries who believe that it is Asia’s turn to field a candidate for Secretary-General. But several non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are also clamouring for a woman to run for Secretary-General, a first in the Organisation’s history.

The only Asian countries who have shown an interest in fielding candidates for the Secretary-General’s job are Singapore and Bangladesh.

Although Ambassador Anwarul Karim Chowdhury and Ambassador Kishore Mabhubani were viewed as potential candidates, they never went public with their intentions. The only Asian candidate to openly declare his intention to run for office was the former Philippines Foreign Minister Domingo Siazon, who was head of the Vienna-based UN Industrial Development Organisation (1985- 1993).

Last week the African Group at the United Nations offered a public show of support for Annan. “The effective leadership and skills that you have consistently demonstrated in discharging your responsibilities are well-known,” the Group said.

The African countries also decided to “strongly encourage” Annan to make a decision to seek another term, “and should you so decide, to fully support your candidature”.

One Asian ambassador told IPS that the issue at hand was not Annan’s positive track record as Secretary-General but the violation of the principle of geographical rotation under which it would be Asia’s turn to nominate a candidate for Secretary-General.

“We are troubled that if the present incumbent continues as Secretary-General, then the great pattern of each regional group being entitled to have one of their own as Secretary-General for two consecutive five year terms will cease to be,” he said.

“And it is the regional groups who have repeatedly proved their relevance and usefulness in the unique parliamentary system we have at the United Nations. It is the regional groups that contribute so greatly to the smooth workings of an unusually complex system, that is without equal in its vast disparate membership,” he added.

“And for more than one reason, therefore, it could be said that some accommodation in Asia’s favour, is necessary this time around on the part of all.”

Some Asian ambassadors were also unhappy that the African group decided to endorse Annan without any reference to the Asians. “We have stood by Africa in the darkest days – and still the African group did not think it fit to consult with us on such an important issue.”

At the press conference Thursday, Annan was asked about the possibility of Asian countries wanting an Asian Secretary-General – and on whether the United Nations would push for geographic representation or merit in selecting posts.

Annan said that he had always tried to fill posts on merit. “Going for merit, however, does not mean that you cannot find them all around the world.”

The Secretary-General also noted that in the history of the Organisation, it has not always been the case that one region has only held the Secretary-General’s post for two terms.

The exceptions were Lie, Hammarskjold and Waldheim – all three from Western Europe. No other regional group has held the coveted job three times over.

Annan said he had spoken to several Asian ambassadors, but not on the question of whether Asia would put up candidates or plead for support.

“I won’t be surprised by other (Asian) candidates coming up,” he said. He said it would be normal for Asian candidates to present themselves as candidates, and he said he was not concerned about that possibility. “It’s in the normal scheme of things.”

Meanwhile, the Asian Group is expected to meet early next week, or possibly on Monday, to react to the announcement. “They can either endorse Annan or they can come up with their own candidate,” one Asian ambassador said, adding that “the only problem is that we don’t have one”.

A Western European diplomat put it this way: “This is a fight between the Asians and the Africans, and we are only spectators.”