UNA-UK Newsletter on UN Elections & Appointments
This newsletter, supported by the Open Society Foundations, is a resource for anyone interested in the timeline and dynamics of UN appointments and elections and will be published in partnership with Passblue.
At present, it is hard to bring up a list of upcoming senior appointments to leadership positions at the UN. When impending appointments by the Secretary-General are advertised, information tends to be thin on the ground and not available in a timely manner on the UN’s website. Information regarding posts which are elected – while more readily available – is difficult to find and often incomplete, inconsistent, and unconsolidated.
The newsletter and its accompanying website bring together publicly available information to paint a picture of upcoming senior appointment processes. It will assess the gaps in public information as well as political dynamics and consider what this means for vetting, transparency, inclusivity, and effectiveness at the UN with a specific focus on gender and global north/south balance.
UNA-UK has teamed up with Strategy for Humanity to form a working group advocating for greater transparency and accountability at the UN. We are interested in process, transparency and accountability and do not take positions on individual candidates, internally or otherwise.
The Blue Smoke February newsletter’s title is: “It would be useless to suggest a non-American”. This comes from a quote provided from a senior UN figure in response to a question about who is standing to be the next World Food Programme Executive Director.
This edition takes a look at exactly which Americans are in the running to replace David Beasley, who’s in the race for the top post at the International Organisation of Migration, and whether we can expect the 78th President of the General Assembly to be the 74th man to hold the post.
This issue also gives you an overview of what you can expect from future newsletters, as well as what you might have missed, and ways to get in touch if you have any hot tips on upcoming vacancies in senior posts at the UN.
To read the newsletter in full visit the Blue Smoke blog