UN Secretary-General

IPS Mourns the Passing of Former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan

By IPS Correspondents
Dear Nane Annan & Family, The IPS family would like to express our deepest condolences to you and your family on the passing of a husband, a father, a global statesman. As journalists, we find that few words can express our deep loss for a man who personalised and lived the vision and truth of a just and equal world.

Statement by the Secretary-General on the Passing of Former Secretary-General Kofi Annan

By António Guterres
Kofi Annan was a guiding force for good.  It is with profound sadness that I learned of his passing.  In many ways, Kofi Annan was the United Nations. He rose through the ranks to lead the organization into the new millennium with matchless dignity and determination.

New UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Takes Office

By Andy Hazel
Antonio Guterres of Portugal officially took up his position as ninth Secretary-General of the United Nations Tuesday morning, beginning his duties by addressing UN staff in New York.

Antonio Guterres Selected as Next UN Secretary-General Faces Tremendous Challenges

By Lyndal Rowlands
The 15 members of the UN Security Council jointly announced Wednesday their decision to select Antonio Guterres of Portugal as the ninth Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Time for a Woman to Lead the UN

By Lyndal Rowlands
Judging by the latest polls it now seems more likely that the United States will have a female President in 2016, than the United Nations will have a female Secretary-General.

The Next UN Secretary General Should Be a Woman – and Must Be a Feminist

By Winnie Byanyima
The process for arguably the top political job on the planet is well underway.  And the time is right for a woman and a feminist to take the helm.

Will the UN’s new leader stand for the powerful or the powerless?

By Lyndal Rowlands
After hundreds of questions were posed to nine candidates vying for the role of United Nations Secretary-General this week, a lasting question remains; will the UN’s new leader stand for the powerful or the powerless?

… And All of a Sudden Syria!

By Baher Kamal
The “big five” – i.e., the most military powerful states on earth (US, UK, France, Russia and China) have just agreed that it would be about time to end the Syrian five-year long human tragedy.

Human Rights and Gender Equality Vague in Post-2015 Agenda

By Ida Karlsson
With the United Nations’ post-2015 development agenda currently under discussion, civil society actors in Europe are calling for a firmer stance on human rights and gender equality, including control of assets by women.


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