Plenary

STATEMENT BY MR CRAIG LIM, COUNSELLOR, PERMANENT MISSION OF SINGAPORE TO THE UNITED NATIONS, AT THE MEETING OF THE AD HOC WORKING GROUP ON REVITALIZATION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, 17 MAY 2011 

Co-Chairs,

1 Thank you for organizing this thematic meeting of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Revitalization of the General Assembly. Of the various themes being discussed by the Ad Hoc Working Group this session, today's topic, on the process of selecting and appointing Secretaries-General of the United Nations, and selection of other executive heads in the United Nations system organizations, is probably one of the most important.

2 Singapore welcomes the initiative of the co-chairs to introduce a new element to our discussions - the selection of the executive heads of the United Nations system organizations. This is consistent with the need for transparency in the appointment of these executive heads, and is in line with best practices of organisational management. While we agree that the various selection processes should continue to proceed as per established channels, we nonetheless feel that having a discussion on the issue can help build up greater familiarity and a cooperative spirit between Member States and these executive heads.

3 That said, the issue of the selection of the executive heads should not diminish the discussion on the selection and appointment of the United Nations Secretary-General. On this matter, Singapore firmly believes that the General Assembly needs to do more than to simply pay lip service. Given that the Secretary-General's role is to represent all 192 Member States, the current practice whereby the General Assembly formally interacts with the Secretary-General only after he or she has been anointed by the Security Council is hardly ideal. The selection of the Secretary-General is a process that deserves greater rigour, closer scrutiny, and enhanced transparency. Instead, the practice today has tilted farther and farther away from the best interests of Member States and of the Organisation. A healthy equilibrium between the Charter-mandated roles of the Security Council and the General Assembly needs to be restored.

4 While we do not question the Security Council's right to recommend the Secretary-General, we are firmly of the view that the Security Council can and should do much more to consult with the wider United Nations membership, well in advance of the expiration of the term of the incumbent Secretary-General, on the appointment of his or her successor, in accordance with General Assembly resolution A/RES/51/241. This would not only allow Member States to properly assess the candidate recommended by the Security Council, but also provide an opportunity for Member States to offer their perspectives on the candidate(s). Singapore supports the efforts to improve the process of appointing our Secretary-General. In tandem, as Member States are aware, the Small Five Group or S5 is working on a similar effort from a complementary direction. The S5, which has worked over the past few years to press for improvements in the working methods of the Security Council, has recently circulated a draft resolution on working methods that includes a section on the very topic that we are discussing today.

Co-Chairs,
5 One delegation had previously put forward a set of proposals to enhance transparency, and the involvement of Member States in the selection process of the Secretary-General, including the idea of holding informal sessions for Member States to pose questions to the candidates. This was a most sensible proposal, which led to paragraph 20 of General Assembly resolution A/RES/60/286, where the General Assembly "...encourages formal presentation of candidatures for the position of Secretary-General in a manner that allows sufficient time for interaction with Member States, and requests candidates to present their views to all States Members of the General Assembly". As permanent members and responsible stakeholders of the General Assembly, let us consider practical ways to implement our own decision.

6 What the wider United Nations membership is asking for need not be complicated. It would in fact, be consistent with similar calls being made elsewhere in this Organisation. For instance, in the current discussions on the Review of the Human Rights Council (HRC), there have been numerous proposals to improve the process by which candidate countries running for election to the HRC present their voluntary pledges and commitments. In those discussions, there have even been some suggestions that these Member States who want to be elected to the HRC should present their pledges and commitments at a meeting of the General Assembly. If we genuinely believe that these practices are important in ensuring that good candidates are elected to the HRC, then we should be applying these same standards to the appointment of key positions in the Secretariat, as well as for the Secretary-General.

7 The fact of the matter is that the notion of candidates presenting themselves to the wider membership is already in practice in other International Organisations, such as the World Trade Organization (WTO). Delegations will recall that this was precisely how the current WTO Director-General was selected. In fact, the WTO went a step further and conducted a straw poll which eliminated candidates with the least number of votes after each round. While we need not follow the WTO down this exact same route, the least we should expect is for the candidates to interact directly with Member States, and put forward a clear platform of issues they intend to address, as well as their vision for the United Nations for their five-year term. Of course, what is critical is that this interaction between the candidate(s) and the General Assembly should be conducted before the final decision is taken.

Co-Chairs,
8 My delegation is a pragmatic one, and we are fully cognizant of the sensitivities that continue to bedevil the issue of the selection and appointment of the Secretary-General. Nonetheless, there is no excuse for us to stop insisting on a rebalancing of roles between the Security Council and the General Assembly, in order to work in concert to appoint suitable leaders for the United Nations system. The quality, prestige and relevance of our Organisation are at stake.

9 Thank you.
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