Gutteres Make 'Disappoints' Women Candidates
Gutteres Make 'Disappoints' Women Candidates
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NEW YORK - The choice of Portugal's former prime minister, Antonio Guterres as UN head disappointed campaigners for a woman or an East European to be the world's top diplomat for the first time.
Antonia Kirkland, program manager for Equality Now, which has campaigned for a woman secretary-general since 1996 say if disappointing that a man has once again been proposed by the UN Security Council as secretary general.
"We are at least hopeful that he will continue the feminist agenda," she said.
She added, this should include first of all, ensuring gender parity among his staff at the Secretariat, and also prioritizing violence and discrimination against women as a pivotal issue.
Meanwhile, Britain's UN Ambassador, Matthew Rycroft said if Guterres won this race because he was the best candidate for the race.
"It was a crowded field, it was a strong field and I'm delighted that seven of the 13 candidates were women but I and others have always been clear that while now is the right time for a woman that we were going to pick the strongest person,'' he told before entering Thursday's meeting.
Christiana Figueres of Costa Rica, the UN official who played a key role in shaping last December's historic agreement to fight climate change and one of three candidates who dropped out of the race, tweeted: "Bittersweet results #NextSG. Bitter: not a woman. Sweet: by far the best man in the race. Congrats Antonio Guterres! We are all with you."
READ MORE: Guterres Faces 'Huge Challenges'
In final vote, Guterres had 13 "encourage" votes, no "discourage" votes and two "no opinions." He was the only candidate to top the required nine "encourage" votes and no "discourage" vote from a permanent member.
Far behind in second place was Slovakia's Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak with a vote of 7-6-2 including two "discourage" votes from permanent members. Serbia's former foreign minister Vuk Jeremic had the same result but three "discourage" votes from permanent members.
The highest-ranked woman, UNESCO chief Irina Bokova of Bulgaria, was fourth. Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boiko Borisov dropped the government's support for Bokova last week in favor of European commissioner Kristalina Georgieva, who came in seventh.
Antonia Kirkland, program manager for Equality Now, which has campaigned for a woman secretary-general since 1996 say if disappointing that a man has once again been proposed by the UN Security Council as secretary general.
"We are at least hopeful that he will continue the feminist agenda," she said.
She added, this should include first of all, ensuring gender parity among his staff at the Secretariat, and also prioritizing violence and discrimination against women as a pivotal issue.
Meanwhile, Britain's UN Ambassador, Matthew Rycroft said if Guterres won this race because he was the best candidate for the race.
"It was a crowded field, it was a strong field and I'm delighted that seven of the 13 candidates were women but I and others have always been clear that while now is the right time for a woman that we were going to pick the strongest person,'' he told before entering Thursday's meeting.
Christiana Figueres of Costa Rica, the UN official who played a key role in shaping last December's historic agreement to fight climate change and one of three candidates who dropped out of the race, tweeted: "Bittersweet results #NextSG. Bitter: not a woman. Sweet: by far the best man in the race. Congrats Antonio Guterres! We are all with you."
READ MORE: Guterres Faces 'Huge Challenges'
In final vote, Guterres had 13 "encourage" votes, no "discourage" votes and two "no opinions." He was the only candidate to top the required nine "encourage" votes and no "discourage" vote from a permanent member.
Far behind in second place was Slovakia's Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak with a vote of 7-6-2 including two "discourage" votes from permanent members. Serbia's former foreign minister Vuk Jeremic had the same result but three "discourage" votes from permanent members.
The highest-ranked woman, UNESCO chief Irina Bokova of Bulgaria, was fourth. Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boiko Borisov dropped the government's support for Bokova last week in favor of European commissioner Kristalina Georgieva, who came in seventh.
(rnz)
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