Bloomberg Podcasts · UN's Baerbock on Selecting New Secretary-General, Funding

1. 1. The next UN Secretary-General will decide whether the UN remains relevant on peace and security and global governance.
2. 2. No woman has ever served as UN Secretary-General in 80 years; six candidates are currently running, with four women and two men.
3. 3. The selection process has become more transparent under Baerbock's leadership, with candidates giving interviews and a town hall live-streamed by Bloomberg.
4. 4. The Security Council's five permanent members (US, Russia, China, France, UK) have disproportionate power in recommending the Secretary-General, but the General Assembly must approve.
5. 5. In 1996, African states forced the Security Council to propose an African candidate, leading to Kofi Annan's election.
6. 6. The UN faces a liquidity crisis because major contributors like the US and China are in arrears, forcing budget cuts and reform.
7. 7. Baerbock opposes austerity measures that would cut sustainable development, arguing the UN was founded on three pillars: peace, development, and human rights.