The candidates vying to become the next Secretary-General of the United Nations are to face a “challenging environment” at a global televised town hall discussion taking place on Tuesday, according to a senior UN Spokesperson.
Twelve candidates have been nominated by their governments to lead the organisation after the current chief Ban Ki-moon steps down at the end of the year.
This week’s Informal Dialogues which started the process of selecting the next UN chief, “exceeded” all expectations.
That’s according to the spokesperson for the President of the General Assembly, who led the briefings, giving nine candidates the opportunity to make their case in unprecedented public sessions.
Dan Thomas said there was “great engagement” from Member States, many of whom asked questions during the two-hour candidate sessions, along with civil society groups.
The General Assembly hall was the centre of the body’s 70th birthday celebrations on Monday, and it’s the place where leaders come to “thrash out” the major challenges of the day.
That’s according to Dan Thomas, spokesperson and communications director for the President of the General Assembly.
Matthew Wells spoke to Mr Thomas in the centre of the chamber where history has been made, over 70 years of lively debate.
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The previous two weeks of intense activity at United Nations headquarters were an “historic” convergence of high-level events, said the spokesperson for the President of the UN General Assembly.
The Pope addressed the UN General Assembly as Member States voted to adopt new Sustainable Development Goals.
The annual debate of world leaders followed immediately, with a raft of global crises and issues on the agenda.
