Make Election Of UN Secretary-General An Open, Democratic Process: India

NEW YORK: With the election of a secretary-general looming next year amid rising major global challenges, India has called for making the selection of a successor to Ban Ki-moon an open, democratic process where all member nations have a greater say.

Permanent Representative Asoke Kumar Mukerji told a panel considering reforms to the election process that the Security Council should present a slate of candidates, rather than just one, to the General Assembly, which should elect one of them by two-thirds of the votes.

In election process that has been followed so far, the Security Council members-essentially the five veto-wielding permanent ones-agree on one candidate leaving it to the General Assembly to vote for or against the candidate. In practical terms though, the other UN members do not have a real choice and the General Assembly simply elects by acclamation the person anointed by the permanent members through their back-room deals.

READ MORE: 10 Indian Women Whose Stories Paved The Way For Women Equality and Modi's Jan Dhan Model Receives Worldwide Following