The Government of Serbia has not yet decided if country will participate in the race for the Secretary-General of the United Nations, was said to Novosti. “The situation is still analyzing and discussing with our key international partners. It is still not known whether Serbia will participate, and whether support will be given to former foreign minister Vuk Jeremic, who is considered as the most serious candidate”, was said.
The Government points out that there is still time to decide, because the new Secretary General of the UN should commence its mandate in 2017. The Serbian state leadership is weighing whether candidacy would bring more good things than harm, especially given the new geopolitical circumstances arising after the outbreak of the Ukrainian crisis.
According to some unofficial information, Jeremic could count on the support of nine of the 15 members of the UN Security Council. However, a decisive role in the selection of the Secretary-General has five permanent members, which have veto power. The mandate of Ban Ki-moon expires in December 2016, and his successor is appointed by the SG, on the recommendation of the Security Council.
Process of candidacy for Ki moon’s successor began last year when Bulgaria nominated for that position Irina Bokova, the director of UNESCO. However, since it is estimated that due to the crisis in Ukraine it will be very hard to find a compromise for the candidate from Eastern Europe, the candidates from other meridians started to apply. That’s how the great chance is given to the former New Zealand’s Prime Minister Helen Clark, who works at the UN Development Programme.
