Wellington, April 5 Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, has entered the race to succeed Ban Ki-moon as the UN Secretary General in a bid to become the first woman in the role of the world’s top diplomat. Clark, who was New Zealand’s PM from 1999 to 2008, threw her hat formally into the ring late Monday, the Guardian reported. Her high-profile entry into the competition is certain to increase pressure among the power brokers of the UN to appoint a woman as the leading face of diplomacy on the global stage. Announcing her candidacy in New York shortly after she was nominated for the top post by New Zealand Prime Minister John Key, Clark said she believed she had the skills to lead the UN as it faced “very serious challenges”. “The position of Secretary General is about giving a voice to seven billion people who look to the UN for hope and support,” she said. Clark’s announcement immediately places her as a serious contender to become the eighth Secretary General in the UN’s 70-year history. Her reputation as a fighter who survived nine years as premier amid the rough-and-tumble of New Zealand politics is being seen within senior levels of the UN as evidence that she would be able to withstand the pressures of the famously thankless task of leading the world organisation. As the head of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), which she has led for the past seven years, Clark has proven herself to be a tough administrator who has cut budgets in her area. When asked about her candidacy, Clark said: “I acknowledge the importance of the P5, as I acknowledge the importance of every member state,” she said. — IANS. Source: Article
Sunday, 10 April 2016
Woman will get to head UN finally?
Wellington, April 5 Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, has entered the race to succeed Ban Ki-moon as the UN Secretary General in a bid to become the first woman in the role of the world’s top diplomat. Clark, who was New Zealand’s PM from 1999 to 2008, threw her hat formally into the ring late Monday, the Guardian reported. Her high-profile entry into the competition is certain to increase pressure among the power brokers of the UN to appoint a woman as the leading face of diplomacy on the global stage. Announcing her candidacy in New York shortly after she was nominated for the top post by New Zealand Prime Minister John Key, Clark said she believed she had the skills to lead the UN as it faced “very serious challenges”. “The position of Secretary General is about giving a voice to seven billion people who look to the UN for hope and support,” she said. Clark’s announcement immediately places her as a serious contender to become the eighth Secretary General in the UN’s 70-year history. Her reputation as a fighter who survived nine years as premier amid the rough-and-tumble of New Zealand politics is being seen within senior levels of the UN as evidence that she would be able to withstand the pressures of the famously thankless task of leading the world organisation. As the head of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), which she has led for the past seven years, Clark has proven herself to be a tough administrator who has cut budgets in her area. When asked about her candidacy, Clark said: “I acknowledge the importance of the P5, as I acknowledge the importance of every member state,” she said. — IANS. Source: Article