Do not laugh too quickly

Jun 14, 2026 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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(Kaieteur News) – I was sitting with a good friend when I read a story about Guyana’s nomination of its candidate for the post of United Nations Secretary General. At the same time, my friend was reading the same story on his phone.

Our eyes met when he realised what I was reading. He immediately burst into uncontrollable laughter that caught me by surprise.

I could not understand his reaction at first. I assumed it had something to do with the idea of a Guyanese nominee.

I asked him, “Don’t you think she can win?” That question made him laugh even harder.

I became slightly worried that he might end up with a seizure attack, so uncontrollable was his amusement. Eventually, he managed to explain his reaction.

He said the position of Secretary General is usually reserved for people with very strong international reputations. In his view, the idea of a less globally known candidate was unrealistic.

I did not fully agree with him. I told him the history of the United Nations shows a more diverse picture.

The current Secretary General, António Guterres, previously served as Prime Minister of Portugal. His predecessor, Ban Ki-moon, had been South Korea’s Foreign Minister and a prospective presidential candidate.

Kofi Annan rose through the United Nations system before becoming Secretary General. He had worked within the UN system and Africa was pressing for someone from the continent.  Boutros Boutros-Ghali, who fell out with the West and only had one term, had been a top-notch academic versed in international law, and was also an experienced diplomat.

These examples support my friend’s argument to some extent. They show that many successful Secretaries General had strong international credentials.

However, they also support the fact that position has not always gone to globally famous figures. Some leaders were relatively unknown before their appointment. These include U Thant, Kurt Waldheim and Dag Hammarskjöld.

These latter appointments show that visibility is not the only deciding factor. Competence and political acceptability also matter greatly.

Another important example is Shridath Ramphal. After he demitted the post of Commonwealth Secretary General, he was touted as a prospective candidate for the post of UN Secretary General.

Ramphal was widely respected across the Commonwealth but it became clear that the West had serious reservations about him and would not support his candidacy. As such, those touting him abandoned the idea.

Ramphal’s experience shows that even strong potential candidates can be blocked by global politics. Merit alone is often not enough in such contests.

And the selection of a Secretary General is ultimately a political process. The Security Council plays the most decisive role in that process.

A candidate must secure more support of Council members than any other. They must also avoid a veto from any of the five permanent members.

It is the Security Council that makes the nomination to the General Assembly. And then the person has to be approved by the General Assembly.

As such, the first and most important hurdle to be overcome by any candidate is to secure the nomination of the Security Council. This requirement makes the process highly complex.

It also makes outcomes difficult to predict in advance. In the past front runners were rejected by permanent members of the UN Security Council.

If Guyana’s candidate is to succeed, she would need the support of the five permanent members. And this is often only guaranteed where there is a deadlock and a need to find someone that is suitable to all five permanent members – United States, Russia, United Kingdom, France and China.

Guyana’s candidate also has to come up against some formidable candidates. Some of the current leading names in discussions include Rafael Grossi, Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Michelle Bachelet (Chile), former President of Chile and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and Macky Sall (Senegal), former President of Senegal.

Compared to these figures, Guyana’s nominee is less internationally visible. That is an unavoidable reality in global diplomacy.

However, international visibility does not always guarantee success. Highly visible candidates can also face strong resistance.

In fact, strong profiles sometimes make consensus harder. Rival powers may prefer a less controversial option.

When that happens, compromise candidates often emerge from outside the list of favourites. The final outcome can surprise even experienced observers.

This is why we should be careful before dismissing Guyana’s nominee. My friend’s laughter may turn out to be premature.

The PPP/C has been known to make bizarre choices. But in international diplomacy, outcomes are rarely straightforward or deterministic.

The outsider always stands a chance. The next Secretary General could come from an unexpected place like Guyana.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper)

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• Peeping Tom, Secretary-General, Shridath Ramphal, United Nations

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