News   /   Society

UN General Assembly president to meet with candidates for secretary general in June

President of the UN General Assembly Mogens Lykketoft (AFP Photo)

The president of the United Nations General Assembly will meet with candidates for the post of the world body's secretary general in early June.

Mogens Lykketoft told reporters on Tuesday he plans to hold another session of question-and-answer with new candidates on June 7.

He added that at least two new candidates for the post are to be nominated soon.

The UN official called on all figures interested in the post to have their names put forward before next month's meeting of the UN General Assembly.

According to the UN Charter, the secretary general is selected by the 193 member states of the General Assembly on the recommendation of the 15-member Security Council.

To date, about a dozen candidates for the next UN chief have been named, including UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova from  Bulgaria, UN Development Program Administrator Helen Clark from New Zealand, Montenegro’s Foreign Minister Igor Luksic, former President of Slovenia Danilo Turk, Portugal’s former Prime Minister Antonio Guterres, former Foreign Minister Srgjan Kerim of Macedonia, Natalia Gherman, Moldova’s former foreign minister, and former Foreign Minister of Croatia Vesna Pusic.

Other nominees include Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak, Argentine Foreign Minister Susanna Malcorra, and Alicia Barcena, a Mexican who heads the UN Economic Commission for Latin America.

Some of the nominees have already been interviewed last month.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon (L) sitting next to UN General Assembly President Mogens Lykketoft at the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly, September 28, 2015, in New York. (AFP Photo)

The current UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, has been in office since January 1, 2007. His term expires on December 31.

Ban's successor will be in office for a 7-year term, instead of a 5-year term, and would not likely be eligible for reelection, according to sources.


Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk

SHARE THIS ARTICLE
Press TV News Roku