NZ ex-PM Clark to run for top UN post
Print Edition
HELEN Clark, a former New Zealand prime minister who is now a senior UN official, announced yesterday she is running for the top position at the United Nations, saying she would bring nearly 30 years of leadership skills to the job of secretary-general in a world of increasing challenges.
Clark is the eighth candidate, and the first from outside Europe, to enter the race to succeed Ban Ki-moon, whose second term expires at the end of this year. Some in the UN are pushing for a woman to take the top role for the first time and some, including Russia, are arguing that Eastern Europe has never had a secretary-general and it’s their turn.
New Zealand Premier John Key said he had personally raised the possibility of her candidacy with President Barack Obama and other senior US officials when he was in Washington last week and didn’t get any pushback. Key said he will make the case to President Xi Jinping when he visits China later this month. The New Zealand government has formally nominated Clark.
“I think the position is open,” Clark said in New York. “The New Zealand government is responding to that saying they think Helen is the best person for the job. So I go into it believing that at this time the critical thing for member states to look at is: What are the challenges?”
The UN secretary-general is chosen by the 193-member General Assembly on the recommendation of the 15-member Security Council, which means it’s crucial to get support from its five veto-wielding members known as the P5: the US, China, Russia, Britain and France.
The UN General Assembly will begin preliminary meetings with candidates in New York from April 12-14.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
