Race for UN top job: Otunnu to sell his candidature in New York
On Wednesday (July 29), the permanent secretary of the ministry of foreign affairs, Vincent Bagiire, told the media in Kampala that during his international campaign, Otunnu would meet UN top leaders over his candidacy.
Former United Nations Under-Secretary-General Dr Olara Otunnu is set to travel to the UN headquarters in New York to lobby support for his candidature for the position of Secretary-General. (Photo by Mpalanyi Ssentongo)
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Dr Olara Otunnu is set to travel to the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York City to sell his candidature for the global organisation’s secretary-general.
On Wednesday (July 29), the permanent secretary of the ministry of foreign affairs, Vincent Bagiire, told the media in Kampala that during his international campaign, Otunnu would meet UN top leaders over his candidacy.
“We are making arrangements to see to it that he gets engagements with the president of the UN Security Council as well as the president of the General of Assembly.
Since other candidates in the race have already had their individual sessions, we have been assured that our candidate will also get an opportunity to do the same,” he said.
Under the UN Charter, the General Assembly elects the secretary-general on the recommendation of the Security Council.
“If a member of the Security Council vetoes a candidature, it means it can’t progress, and therefore we need to make sure that as fast as possible we engage with the five permanent members and we have started that.”
Bagiire also noted that in Otunnu, Uganda has a very good candidate who knows the UN system quite well.
Otunnu eager
At the same media engagement, Otunnu, who served as Uganda’s ambassador and permanent representative to the UN from 1980 to 1985 and the organisation’s under-secretary-general for children and armed conflict from 1998 to 2005, among others, said that he expected to be in New York soon.
He, however, said he hopes and trusts that all five nations that are permanently represented on the Security Council will judge him on his experience and track record of service because “I am not talking theory; I have actually done this not twice or twice”.
Other candidates
The other six candidates standing to replace the current secretary-general, António Guterres, who is due to end his term of office at the end of the year, include former president of Chile Michelle Bachelet, former president of the UN General Assembly Maria Fernanda Espinosa from Ecuador, and Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi from Argentina.
Others are former Secretary-General of UN Trade and Development Rebeca Grynspan from Costa Rica, Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the UN Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett, and former Senegalese President Macky Sall.
The new UN chief is set to take office on January 1, 2027.
Only two Africans have previously occupied this seat - Boutros Boutros-Ghali and Kofi Annan.