Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will issue a response to EDM 1338, Selection of United Nations Secretary General.

We welcome the work of the 1 for 7 Billion campaign. Last week’s informal hearings by the UN General Assembly with currently declared UN Secretary-General candidates were a key part of our campaign to reform the selection process. We want greater transparency, a structured process and a gender diverse field. The General Assembly and the Security Council have committed to providing opportunities for engagement and dialogue between candidates and member states and last week’s hearings were the first step. We will encourage further direct engagement throughout the process.

Our efforts on the process are designed to ensure we get the best person for the job. Any successful candidate needs integrity, a proven track record, first class communication skills, suitable and relevant experience and unimpeachable character. They should be committed to transparency and accountability, have strong leadership skills, a bold vision for an activist UN at the heart of the rules-based system, and be committed to cost-effective management and reform.