New Zealand Prime Minister John Key has nominated former prime minister Helen Clark for the position of United Nations Secretary-General.
Who is the UN Secretary-General?
The leader of the United Nations and its de facto spokesperson. The Secretary-General leads the United Nations Secretariat and serves at least one five-year term. Incumbent Ban Ki-moon is retiring on December 31.
Appointment process
Member states of the UN are invited to submit nominations to the General Assembly and the Security Council.
A candidate is selected by the Security Council which then recommends that person's appointment to the General Assembly.
The Secretary-General is appointed by the General Assembly.
If there are a number of candidates, the Security Council chooses the contender via ballot.
Any of the five core members of the Security Council - China, France, Russia, the UK, and the United States - can veto the nomination.
In the running
Former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark
Former UN General Assembly president and Macedonian foreign minister Srghan Kerim.
Former Croatian vice-president Vesna Pusic
Montenegro's Foreign Minister Igor Luksic
Former Slovenian president Danuilo Turk
Director-General of UNESCO and former Bulgarian deputy PM Irina Bokova
Former Moldovan foreign minister Natalia Gherman
Former Portugese prime minister Antonio Guterres
Former post holders
Ban Ki-moon, Korea (2007- 2016)
Kofi Annan, Ghana (1997-2006)
Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Egypt(1992-1996)
Javier Perez de Cuellar, Peru (1982-1991)
Kurt Waldheim, Austria (1972-1981)
U Thant, Myanmar (1961-1971)
Dag Hammarskjold, Sweden (1953-1961)
