The Case For a Woman United Nations Secretary General
Ambassador Anwarul Chowdhury, Former UN Under-Secretary General and High Representative of the United Nations, who was also President of the UN Security Council in 2000 and 2001 and a member of the Global Advisory Council of IMPACT Leadership 21, wrote a very compelling article in June 2011 calling for the United Nations to elect its first woman Secretary General -- before all the recent campaigns and calls to elect the first female SG started gaining momentum. Presently, Ambassador Chowdhury is at the forefront of the campaign to elect the first woman SG, together with other distinguished leaders from the global community. The 2011 article that appeared on the Global Policy Forum can be accessed here
As a follow up in 2013, Ambassador Chowdhury, together with Janet C. Salazar, CEO and Founder of IMPACT Leadership 21, co-wrote a Call to Action addressed to world leaders attending the 68th Session of the UN General Assembly -- highlighting the need to elect the first female SG. IMPACT Leadership 21 together with the Foundation for the Support of the United Nations (FSUN) has pro-actively raised the need for women's equal representation and participation at the global, multilateral levels, in particular at the United Nations. The 2013 IMPACT Call to Action can be accessed here.
In recent straw polls at the Security Council on the election of the next SG, Antonio Guterres of Portugal, a former prime minister and former head of the UN's refugee agency, has been the favorite to take on the role. The highest-performing women have been Irina Bokova of Bulgaria and Susana Malcorra of Argentina, who have both reached third place in the rankings. Of the 11 candidates in the running to take up the post, five are women. In a recent statement, the secretary-general of the United Nations has said he would like a woman to take over from him. Ban Ki-moon said it was "high time" for a female head, after more than 70 years of the UN and eight male leaders. A new secretary-general is expected to be announced in the autumn.
As a follow up in 2013, Ambassador Chowdhury, together with Janet C. Salazar, CEO and Founder of IMPACT Leadership 21, co-wrote a Call to Action addressed to world leaders attending the 68th Session of the UN General Assembly -- highlighting the need to elect the first female SG. IMPACT Leadership 21 together with the Foundation for the Support of the United Nations (FSUN) has pro-actively raised the need for women's equal representation and participation at the global, multilateral levels, in particular at the United Nations. The 2013 IMPACT Call to Action can be accessed here.
In recent straw polls at the Security Council on the election of the next SG, Antonio Guterres of Portugal, a former prime minister and former head of the UN's refugee agency, has been the favorite to take on the role. The highest-performing women have been Irina Bokova of Bulgaria and Susana Malcorra of Argentina, who have both reached third place in the rankings. Of the 11 candidates in the running to take up the post, five are women. In a recent statement, the secretary-general of the United Nations has said he would like a woman to take over from him. Ban Ki-moon said it was "high time" for a female head, after more than 70 years of the UN and eight male leaders. A new secretary-general is expected to be announced in the autumn.
