Race to choose next UNSG moves to next phase

The race to choose the next United Nations Secretary-General (UNSG) moves into another important phase on Friday, when the Security Council holds its second informal straw poll.“I hope that my breadth and depth of experience covering some four decades, covering all three pillars of the United Nations, meaning peace and security, on which have worked in the Security Council as Under Secretary General, but also when I was president of International Peace Academy now, IPI (International Peace Institute) … my work on development and my work on human rights, human rights, together with Prime Minister Dr Ruhakana Rugunda, we cut our teeth in the struggle against the rule of Idi Amin in Uganda.

The field has grown since the first poll at the end of July with the two latest entrants — Ugandan diplomat Olara Otunnu and Ecuadorian diplomat Ivonne A-Baki – having spent the past two days making their case to UN member states.