1 for 7 Billion campaign
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1 for 7 Billion is a civil society campaign calling for the selection and appointment process of the UN Secretary-General to be reformed. It claims the current procedure, which was developed in 1946, is “outdated” and incompatible with selecting the best candidate.[1] 1 for 7 Billion calls for the selection process to be open to public scrutiny and be based on merit.[2][3] Its goal is to improve the selection procedures ahead of the appointment of the next Secretary-General in 2016.[4]
1 for 7 Billion was launched in November 2014, when 12 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) sent a letter to all UN member states[5] asking for “a more open and inclusive process engaging all UN member states [which] will help to revitalise the UN and enhance its global authority.”[6]
1 for 7 Billion has its roots in an earlier civil society initiative, “UNSGselection”, aimed to improve the selection process ahead of the appointment of the Secretary-General in 2006 which was developed by the World Federalist Movement. The UNSGselection campaign promoted an overt selection process and sought to do this through the adoption of measures such as: listing candidate qualifications; an official timetable; assessments of candidates; and a system of background checks.[7]
1 for 7 Billion is one of several civil society initiatives which has emerged to influence the appointment of the UN's ninth Secretary-General. The Elders, a group of former world leaders founded by Nelson Mandela, has also advocated for changes to the selection process as part of its “A UN Fit for Purpose” initiative.[8]
In light of the absence of female Secretaries-General, the “Campaign to Elect a Woman Secretary-General” and the “SheUNited” campaign both advocate for a woman to be appointed.[9][10] Similarly, the "UNSG Like Me" campaign aims to draw awareness to the lack of gender parity in high-level UN appointments through its interactive website, which allows users to see whether there has been a female UN leader appointed from their country.[11] These campaigns differ from the 1 for 7 Billion campaign, which does not advocate for the next Secretary-General to necessarily be a woman.[12]
Objectives
Overall, 1 for 7 Billion advocates for greater transparency in the selection process for the UN Secretary-General.[13] The campaign lists ten reforms which it claims will make the appointment of the next Secretary-General democratic and observable by UN member states and the general public. These are similar suggestions to those of UNSGselection and further call for formal selection criteria, a single, non-renewable term of appointment and the recommendation of multiple candidates by the Security Council to the General Assembly.[14][15]
The 1 for 7 Billion campaign is also calling on the General Assembly to discourage candidates from making promises of high-level positions to nationals of the permanent five countries in exchange for their support.[16]
As a civil society initiative, 1 for 7 Billion argues that civil society should play a greater role in the selection process, and works to inform non-governmental organizations and others about this issue. The campaign was described by Mogens Lykketoft, the President of the UN General Assembly, as a "driving force" in the engagement of civil society in the selection process.[17]
Previous Selection Process
There is an informal regional rotation scheme for the selection of the UN Secretary-General, despite the absence of any provision in the Charter of the United Nations that specifies such a scheme. It is speculated that Eastern Europe is a strong contender in the 2016 appointment as it is the only region from which a Secretary-General has never before been selected.[18][19]
Article 97 of the United Nations Charter guides the selection procedure stating that “the Secretary-General is appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council”.[20]
In practice, one candidate is chosen in private by the Security Council without discussing with member states or publishing a list of candidates.[21] It is UN Security Council practice that the five permanent members of the Security Council – the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia and China – have an effective veto over the selection during this stage of the process, though this is not explicitly mentioned in the United Nations Charter.[22][23][24] The final candidate is then submitted to the General Assembly for ratification. No candidate has ever been rejected by the General Assembly.[25][26]
The appointment of the first UN Secretary-General, Trygve Lie, in 1945 saw a different selection process to that of his successors. Following his recommendation by the Security Council, the General Assembly held a secret ballot which saw Lie elected with 46 votes to three.[27][28][29] The General Assembly also took an atypically prominent role in the re-appointment process deciding to extend Lie's term by majority vote in light of the Security Council being unable to agree on a recommendation for the next Secretary-General.[30][31]