Who Will Follow Annan?

Everyone has to admit that being the UN Secretary General does in no way mean a comfortable easy. Furthermore, searching for someone to occupy such a diplomatic and political position, as the world's leading diplomat, is a nonetheless difficult task.


It has already been announced that Kofi Annan will step down from office at the end of this year and officials at the United Nations have already started processing the selection standard procedures for his successor. Yet, not many things are revealed, leaving many to wonder.

There are no official job interviews, no job profiles, no formal requests but all the ethical and diplomatic responsibilities in the world. Not to mention the fact that the decision regarding such a person is reached strictly behind closed doors by the five nations in the Security Council, which have the veto power.

Nevertheless, representatives from the developing worlds are not at all content with this kind of procedure, which other countries' wishes are not taken into consideration.

In an interview with BBC World Service's Analysis programme, Edward Mortimer stated that the final decision and the time span needed to reach it, depends a lot right upon the deal the US makes with China, and in case they reach one, then the whole process might last for a little while.

Either way, the next Secretary General would have to be a lot more transparent and more engaged in difficult tasks such as reforming the organization, defining its present goals and resolve the oil-for-food issues around the globe.