Statement by H.E. Mr. Hiroshi Minami
Deputy Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations
At the Third Thematic Meeting of the Ad Hoc Working Group of the
Revitalization of the Work of the General Assembly
10 April 2017
Thank you, Co-chairs,
In 2016, we witnessed historical achievements during the selection process of the Secretary-General. It is indeed Resolution 69/321 on General Assembly revitalization that made these achievements possible, and we should be proud of having adopted it by consensus.
Now our common goal is to consolidate these innovative outcomes and aim to further improve the selection process. It is in this spirit that Ambassador Bessho produced, in his personal capacity, a note on the Secretary-General selection process. In this note, he stresses the important role played by the General Assembly and its President in enhancing transparency. He also suggests that, in order to achieve the greatest possible transparency, straw polls in the Security Council should be replaced by official votes at a private meeting of the Council, and that the result should be made public. I hope that Ambassador Bessho’s note will help add depth to the discussions on this important topic.
That said, I would like to touch upon several points on the SG selection process in the context of GA revitalization.
First, new mechanisms such the informal dialogues of the General Assembly and the joint letters on respective candidatures played a crucial role in the 2016 process. They are considered best practices and, as Ambassador Bessho’s note states, “it is without question appropriate and necessary to maintain these practices for the future.”
Second, on the term of the Secretary-General, a single non-renewable term is often mentioned as a case-in-point for discussion in favor of the independence of a Secretary-General. Indeed, the precedents of the quasi-automatic renewal of the term might have affected the independence of past Secretaries-General. However, the problem lies not in the term itself, but in the process. While the renewal of the term should not be taken for granted, neither should reappointment be a priori denied.
In addition, a seven-year term is often proposed together with a single term. However, in our view, seven years is too long, and would not appropriately match current global trends.
Needless to say, my delegation is in favor of selecting and appointing a strong and independent Secretary-General, as we did last year. From that perspective, the solution should be to create an environment conducive to a fair and equitable competition. It is therefore necessary to consider how to secure the best practices of the 2016 process and apply them to future processes in case the incumbent Secretary-General is a candidate.
Third, the decision-making process in the General Assembly is an important point to consider. While the first three Secretaries-General were appointed by vote in the General Assembly, the United Nations has also accumulated the examples of appointment-by-acclamation since the 1971 process. In the 2016 process, PGA Thomson produced a presidential text and skillfully led the General Assembly to adopt appointment Resolution 71/4 by consensus. This should be noted when Member States discuss this matter. Most importantly, a Secretary-General should be endowed with the unified support of all Member States at the end of the process. A “consensual aura” granted by the entire membership will help a Secretary-General to accomplish his or her mission.
These are the elements I would like to put forward today.
The 2016 SG selection process was a successful one. However, we cannot rest on our laurels. We must continue discussions for future processes. Ambassador Bessho’s note is an important step for that purpose.
Japan is ready to take the initiative in moving forward the discussions and working on proposals in order to further improve the SG selection process, in cooperation with other Member States and relevant stakeholders.
I thank you, Co-chairs.
