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United Nations Secretary-General selection United Nations Secretary-General selection is the process of selecting the next secretary-general of the United Nations. To be selected as secretary-general, a candidate must receive the votes of at least nine members of the United Nations Securit ...
was held in 1996 at the end of
Boutros Boutros-Ghali Boutros Boutros-Ghali (; , ar, بطرس بطرس غالي ', ; 14 November 1922 – 16 February 2016) was an Egyptian politician and diplomat who served as the sixth Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) from 1992 to 1996. An academic ...
's first term. Boutros-Ghali ran unopposed for a second term and received the support of 14 of the 15 members of the
United Nations Security Council The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the Organs of the United Nations, six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international security, international peace and security, recommending the admi ...
. However, the United States vetoed his re-selection and eventually forced him to withdraw his candidacy. The open selection then deadlocked as France vetoed all candidates from English-speaking countries, while the United States vetoed all candidates from French-speaking countries. France eventually changed its veto to an abstention, and
Kofi Annan Kofi Atta Annan (; 8 April 193818 August 2018) was a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh secretary-general of the United Nations from 1997 to 2006. Annan and the UN were the co-recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize. He was the founder ...
of Ghana was selected Secretary-General for a term beginning 1 January 1997. The 1996 selection marks the only time that a sitting
Secretary-General Secretary is a title often used in organizations to indicate a person having a certain amount of authority, power, or importance in the organization. Secretaries announce important events and communicate to the organization. The term is derived ...
was denied a second term.


Background

The elderly Boutros-Ghali initially intended to serve only one term, but he ran for a second term in 1996. Traditionally, the Secretary-General is entitled to run unopposed for a second term. No sitting Secretary-General had ever been denied a second term by a veto. In the 1950 selection,
Trygve Lie Trygve Halvdan Lie ( , ; 16 July 1896 – 30 December 1968) was a Norwegians, Norwegian politician, labour leader, government official and author. He served as Norwegian foreign minister during the critical years of the Nygaardsvold's Cabinet, N ...
was vetoed by the Soviet Union, but he was re-appointed by the General Assembly without a recommendation from the Security Council. In the 1976 selection,
Kurt Waldheim Kurt Josef Waldheim (; 21 December 1918 – 14 June 2007) was an Austrian politician and diplomat. Waldheim was the Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1972 to 1981 and president of Austria from 1986 to 1992. While he was running for th ...
received a single symbolic veto from China, which turned around and voted for him in the second round. Boutros Boutros-Ghali had been selected Secretary-General in 1991 without the support of the United States, which abstained. After 15 U.S. peacekeepers died in a failed raid in Somalia in 1993, Boutros-Ghali became a political scapegoat in the United States. U.S. ambassador
Madeleine Albright Madeleine Jana Korbel Albright (born Marie Jana Korbelová; May 15, 1937 – March 23, 2022) was an American diplomat and political scientist who served as the 64th United States secretary of state from 1997 to 2001. A member of the Democratic ...
criticized Boutros-Ghali for the failed raid, and U.S. president
Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
announced that future U.S. peacekeepers "will be under American command." However, the dead peacekeepers had already been under U.S. command. Tensions grew worse as Boutros-Ghali pressed the United States over $1.5 billion in unpaid U.N. dues, while the United States pushed him to cut programs that were favored by
developing countries A developing country is a sovereign state with a lesser developed industrial base and a lower Human Development Index (HDI) relative to other countries. However, this definition is not universally agreed upon. There is also no clear agreem ...
. The breaking point came over the
Bosnian War The Bosnian War ( sh, Rat u Bosni i Hercegovini / Рат у Босни и Херцеговини) was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. The war is commonly seen as having started ...
, when Boutros-Ghali refused to allow British and French commanders to authorize airstrikes against Serb troops. During the 1996 U.S. presidential campaign, Republican candidate
Bob Dole Robert Joseph Dole (July 22, 1923 – December 5, 2021) was an American politician and attorney who represented Kansas in the United States Senate from 1969 to 1996. He was the Republican Leader of the Senate during the final 11 years of his te ...
made fun of Boutros-Ghali's name, and Clinton decided to eliminate Boutros-Ghali to help in his own reelection bid.


Re-selection of Boutros-Ghali

Boutros-Ghali ran unopposed for re-selection, as he enjoyed the support of every other member of the Security Council and was backed by the developing countries in the General Assembly. Boutros-Ghali had the support of France, as he spoke French fluently and had studied at the
Sorbonne Sorbonne may refer to: * Sorbonne (building), historic building in Paris, which housed the University of Paris and is now shared among multiple universities. *the University of Paris (c. 1150 – 1970) *one of its components or linked institution, ...
. Supporters of Boutros-Ghali also hoped that China would fight a veto duel with the United States, as it had done in the deadlocked 1981 selection. If the 1996 selection could be deadlocked, then the General Assembly could appoint Boutros-Ghali to a second term without a recommendation from the Security Council. The United States had set the precedent by taking the 1950 selection directly to the General Assembly after the Soviet Union vetoed
Trygve Lie Trygve Halvdan Lie ( , ; 16 July 1896 – 30 December 1968) was a Norwegians, Norwegian politician, labour leader, government official and author. He served as Norwegian foreign minister during the critical years of the Nygaardsvold's Cabinet, N ...
's second term.


Operation Orient Express

Madeleine Albright, Richard Clarke, Michael Sheehan, and
James Rubin James Phillip Rubin (born March 28, 1960) is an American former diplomat and journalist who served as U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs in the Clinton Administration from 1997–2000. He wrote a regular column on foreign aff ...
entered a secret pact, which they called "Operation Orient Express." The name reflected their hope that other countries would join the United States in overthrowing Boutros-Ghali. However, U.S. President Bill Clinton told them that they "would never pull it off." As support for Boutros-Ghali grew, the United States increased the pressure on his supporters. U.S. officials threatened to "take action" against U.N. officials who campaigned for Boutros-Ghali using U.N. funds, even though it could not name anyone who had done so. An unnamed U.S. official warned in a
United States Information Agency The United States Information Agency (USIA), which operated from 1953 to 1999, was a United States agency devoted to "public diplomacy". In 1999, prior to the reorganization of intelligence agencies by President George W. Bush, President Bill C ...
report that continued support for Boutros-Ghali would cost Africa its second term in the Secretary-General rotation. The United States even offered to support
Salim Ahmed Salim Salim Ahmed Salim ( ar, سليم احمد سليم, sw, Salim Ahmad Salim, born 23 January 1942) is a Tanzanian politician and diplomat who has worked in the international diplomatic arena since the early 1960s. Early life Salim was born in wh ...
of Tanzania, who had been vetoed by the U.S. after winning the 1981 selection by one vote. A former U.N. official said that the
Clinton administration Bill Clinton's tenure as the 42nd president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 1993, and ended on January 20, 2001. Clinton, a Democrat from Arkansas, took office following a decisive election victory over Re ...
appeared to be in a "frenzy" over Boutros-Ghali's resistance. On 17 November 1996, U.S. ambassador Madeleine Albright asked Boutros-Ghali to resign and offered to start a new foundation in Geneva for Boutros-Ghali to run. Other Western diplomats called the offer "ludicrous," as Boutros-Ghali's family was wealthy and already supported several foundations in Egypt, while Albright would have a hard time convincing the U.S. Congress to pay for a foundation. Boutros-Ghali declined the American offer and said that he was not looking for another job.


US veto

On 18 November 1996, the
United Nations Security Council The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the Organs of the United Nations, six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international security, international peace and security, recommending the admi ...
conducted a straw poll to gauge the level of support for Boutros-Ghali. The vote was 13–1–1, with only the United States voting against. The United Kingdom delegation abstained because it had not received any instructions from London. On 20 November 1996, the Security Council met in closed session to consider draft resolution S/1996/952, appointing Boutros-Ghali for a second term. The resolution received 14 votes in favor, 1 vote against, and no abstentions. The only negative vote was the promised U.S. veto. The U.S. veto was widely criticized by foreign diplomats, who referred to it as a " mugging." Boutros-Ghali complained that he was not " Noriega or
Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein ( ; ar, صدام حسين, Ṣaddām Ḥusayn; 28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003. A leading member of the revolution ...
" and compared the United States to the
Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediterr ...
. CNN founder
Ted Turner Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III (born November 19, 1938) is an American entrepreneur, television producer, media proprietor, and philanthropist. He founded the Cable News Network (CNN), the first 24-hour United States cable news, cable news ch ...
said that "Even England voted to re-elect this man and England always does what the United States asks them to do." British diplomat
Brian Urquhart Major Sir Brian Edward Urquhart ( ) (28 February 1919 – 2 January 2021) was a British international civil servant and World War II veteran, and author. He played a significant role in the founding of the United Nations. He went on to serve as ...
described members of the U.S. Congress were "very xenophobic, extremely touchy, and, I think, very ignorant," and said that the Secretary-General "isn't supposed to be a member of the .S.State Department." Even the conservative ''
New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com. It was established ...
'' criticized Clinton for "indulg ngan obsession" and "demonstrat ngextraordinary diplomatic isolation." Meanwhile, the conspirators in Operation Orient Express prevailed on Clinton to resist foreign pressure and continue the veto.


Deadlock

The Security Council met again on 21 November 1996 and 25 November 1996. No vote was taken, as none of the members had changed their positions. The United States also refused to nominate its own candidate, who would certainly be rejected by the Security Council. U.S. Ambassador Madeleine Albright insisted that the Africans must come up with their own candidate to replace Boutros-Ghali. American diplomats again warned that Africa would lose its turn in the Secretary-Generalship rotation if they did not come up with another candidate. However, Botswana's representative said that "We have a list composed of one person, Dr. Boutros-Ghali." On 29 November 1996, the Security Council met again without taking a vote. The same day, the Chairman of the
Organisation of African Unity The Organisation of African Unity (OAU; french: Organisation de l'unité africaine, OUA) was an intergovernmental organization established on 25 May 1963 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with 32 signatory governments. One of the main heads for OAU's ...
wrote its members soliciting additional nominations. However, no nominations were forthcoming, as no African country wanted to undermine Boutros-Ghali by nominating another candidate. France and other European nations suggested a compromise in which Boutros-Ghali would be appointed to a short two-year term, following the precedent of
U Thant Thant (; ; January 22, 1909 – November 25, 1974), known honorifically as U Thant (), was a Burmese diplomat and the third secretary-general of the United Nations from 1961 to 1971, the first non-Scandinavian to hold the position. He held t ...
's selection for a 17-month term in 1961. However, the United States did not respond to these proposals. The impasse was finally broken on 5 December 1996, when Boutros-Ghali suspended his candidacy. The selection was now thrown open to other candidates.


Open selection

Anticipating the U.S. veto, Security Council President Nugroho Wisnumurti of Indonesia laid down procedures on 12 November 1996 to be followed in case of an open selection. The Security Council would vote in secret in a series of straw polls. After a likely winner emerged, the next straw poll would have the permanent members voting on red paper to reveal the existence of any vetoes, while the rotating members voted on white paper. When at least one candidate received at least nine votes and no vetoes, a Resolution would finally be introduced and a vote would be taken. The "Wisnumurti Guidelines" formalized the process that had been used to break the deadlocked selection of 1981, and they have been used in all subsequent open selections. Four African candidates were nominated to replace Boutros-Ghali:
Amara Essy Amara Essy (born 20 December 1944
.
) is a diplomat from
Kofi Annan Kofi Atta Annan (; 8 April 193818 August 2018) was a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh secretary-general of the United Nations from 1997 to 2006. Annan and the UN were the co-recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize. He was the founder ...
of Ghana,
Hamid Algabid Hamid Algabid (born 1941) is a Nigerien politician and the President of the Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP-Jama'a) party. A lawyer, banker, and technocrat, Algabid was an important figure in the regime of Seyni Kountché, serving as Prime ...
of Niger, and
Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah ( ar, أحمدو ولد عبد الله) (born November 21, 1940) is a Mauritanian diplomat who was a senior United Nations official. Background Ould-Abdallah was born on November 21, 1940, in Mauritania. He graduated fr ...
of Mauritania. The Security Council met on 6 December 1996 but did not vote, awaiting more candidates. However, no other candidates were nominated.
Moustapha Niasse Moustapha Niasse (born November 4, 1939
.
) is a Senegalese politician and diplomat who has been List ...
of Senegal was not nominated because he would be vetoed by China.
Salim Ahmed Salim Salim Ahmed Salim ( ar, سليم احمد سليم, sw, Salim Ahmad Salim, born 23 January 1942) is a Tanzanian politician and diplomat who has worked in the international diplomatic arena since the early 1960s. Early life Salim was born in wh ...
of Tanzania was not nominated because he would be vetoed by France, an ironic twist for a diplomat who had been vetoed by the United States in 1981. With the General Assembly expecting to end its session on 17 December 1996, the Security Council had only one week to select a Secretary-General. In the first straw poll on 10 December 1996, Annan led with a vote of 12-2-1 with 1 veto, and Essy came in second with a vote of 11-4-0 with 2 vetoes. Annan was vetoed by France, while Essy was vetoed by the United States and the United Kingdom. Although Annan spoke French fluently, Ghana is a former British colony and Annan attended university in the United States. In the second round, Annan led with a vote of 10-3-1 with 1 veto, and Essy came in second with 7 votes in favor and 2 vetoes. All of the French-speaking candidates were vetoed by the United States and the United Kingdom. In the third round on 11 December 1996, Annan led with a vote of 11-4-0, including a French veto. Essy was in second place with a vote of 6-4-4, including U.S. and British vetoes. Despite the deadlock between the French-speaking and the English-speaking countries, diplomats believed that they had to find an African for the post because China would veto any non-African candidate. In the fourth round on 12 December 1996, Annan became the favored candidate with a vote of 14-1-0, the sole negative vote being a French veto. On 13 December 1996, France dropped its veto against Annan. The Security Council adopted Resolution 1090 by acclamation, recommending Kofi Annan to be the next Secretary-General of the United Nations. On 17 December 1996, the General Assembly adopted Resolution A/51/L.66, appointing Kofi Annan as Secretary-General for a term ending 31 December 2001.


2001 re-selection

Kofi Annan ran unopposed for re-selection in 2001. Due to Boutros-Ghali's non-reelection, a second Annan term would give Africa the office of Secretary-General for three consecutive terms. In 2001, the
Asia-Pacific Group The Group of Asia and the Pacific Small Island Developing States (often shortened as Asia and the Pacific or Asia-Pacific Group) is one of the five United Nations regional groups and is composed of 53 Member States from Asia and Oceania. The Gr ...
agreed to a third term for Africa in return for the
African Group The Group of African States, or African Group, is one of the five United Nations regional groups and is composed of 54 Member States from the African continent. The African Group is the largest regional group, and compose 28% of all United Nation ...
's support for an Asian Secretary-General in the 2006 selection. The Security Council passed Resolution 1358 by acclamation on 27 June 2001, recommending Annan for a second term. The General Assembly approved his reappointment on 29 June 2001 in Resolution A/55/L.87. Annan's second term ran until 31 December 2006, setting the stage for the 2006 Secretary-General selection.


References

{{United Nations Secretary-General selections 1996 elections 1996 in the United Nations 2001 in the United Nations United Nations Secretariat Secretaries-General of the United Nations