Wanted: UN secretary-general as ‘mediator-in-chief’

Raphael Reyes/Rappler

The race for the world’s foremost diplomat shines a spotlight on the crises the global organization faces

AT A GLANCE

• The upcoming selection of a new UN secretary-general follows the legacy of U Thant, who was the first Asian and non-white to hold the position, known for his diplomatic efforts during the Cold War.
• Currently, eight candidates are in the running for the role, with a possibility of electing the first female secretary-general, amidst challenges facing the UN including financial issues and conflicts in various regions.
• Thant Myint-U's book on U Thant provides insights into his leadership style and decision-making processes, emphasizing the need for a mediator-in-chief with diplomatic skills and political courage for the next secretary-general.

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I had given little thought to the ongoing contest for a new United Nations secretary-general until I read the captivating book, Peacemaker: U Thant, the United Nations and the Untold Story of the 1960s.  It schooled me in the dynamics of UN leadership and the ways powerful countries steered the global organization’s direction.

Soon, the UN General Assembly will choose the successor to the current secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, whose term ends in December this year.

More than ever, I appreciate the thankless work of the secretary-general, having gained a close-up view of ten years of Thant’s legendary leadership of the UN. He was the first non-white, the first Asian to hold the post.

The first two secretaries-general were from Norway and Sweden. When Thant stepped down in 1971, he was succeeded by one more from Europe (Austria). The only other Asian was Ban Ki-moon from South Korea (2007-2016). Only one secretary-general has come from the Middle East (Egypt); the same is true for Latin America (Peru) and Africa (Ghana). Guterres is from Portugal, the fourth from Europe.

‘Loneliest job in the world’

Thant led the UN at a time of turbulent conflicts, from the Cuban missile crisis to the six-day Arab-Israel war to the Vietnam war.  What is little known is that Thant’s mediation between the US and USSR helped prevent a third world war over Cuba. He also consistently advocated for détente during the Cold War.

Thant tirelessly worked to attain peace in various flashpoints in the world, finding diplomatic solutions to what seemed to be impossible situations, like helping broker a ceasefire between India and Pakistan in 1965.

Newly independent countries joined the UN as a wave of decolonization swept the early 1960s. Thant provided moral leadership at this critical period of transformation,  championing racial equality.

It’s the “loneliest job in the world,” Thant said of the UN secretary-general’s work. But he got along with almost everyone and was respected by many.

The book opens with a farewell lunch for Thant in December 1971 where the guests ranged from John Lennon to Jacques Costeau. It was there that Lennon first sang a song he had recently written about peace, which, he said, he had never performed before in America. That song was “Imagine.”

The book is beautifully written by Thant Myint-U,  a historian, former UN official, and Thant’s grandson. Unearthing rich archives, including private papers in the care of his mother (Thant’s daughter) and her personal memories, Thant Myint-U gives a ringside view of how Thant made decisions, consulting colleagues he trusted, and their verbal exchanges. His relations with leaders of the US and USSR are well documented in the book, including their conversations and letters.

First woman secretary-general?

Today, eight candidates are in the race for the 10^th UN secretary-general, five are women and three are men. If a woman is selected, she will be the first female to lead the UN.  

Six of the aspirants are from Latin America while two are from Africa. 

The next secretary-general will be appointed by the 193-member General Assembly on the Security Council’s recommendation. The five permanent members — France, Britain, China, Russia, and the United States — have a veto on the final decision. 

In August, when the Security Council held a second informal vote, Guyana’s ex-foreign minister, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, narrowly led this round, according to a news report.

Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan, head of the UN Trade and Development, was the front-runner when the Security Council did a first informal vote behind closed doors and by secret ballot. 

Where is the UN in all the wars?

The next secretary-general will take over at a very difficult time, with the UN presence not seen or felt in the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, and the civil war in Sudan. After all, isn’t it the UN’s core mission to keep peace?

On other fronts, multilateralism is under attack from the US, the Security Council is deadlocked, and the UN faces an “imminent financial collapse” because the US and other countries have not paid their dues 

The crisis facing the UN is “very acute,” Thant Myint-U said in an interview with The Financial Times.  Asked what kind of leader the UN needs now, he replied:

      “…someone who is going to be good as the mediator-in-chief. That requires diplomatic skill, experience… an even temperament… degree of equanimity, a willingness to take risks and fail and move on, someone who’s willing not to always take the credit but sometimes to take the blame unfairly… More importantly, someone who has political  courage, someone who’s going to take those initial risks in the interest of peace.”

I’m waiting with bated breath to see who the next secretary-general will be and, fingers crossed, she/he opens a new chapter for the UN.

Let me know what you think. You can email me at marites.vitug@rappler.com.

I will be taking a year-long book leave next month although I may write occasional pieces. My regular newsletters will resume when I return in October 2027.