Arab News | Turkiye nominates former UN envoy to succeed Guterres

ISTANBUL: Turkiye has officially nominated a former foreign minister and years-long ambassador to the UN for the next UN secretary-general, state-run media reported on Saturday.

The next UN chief will succeed Antonio Guterres, who has led the world body for almost 10 years.

The organization is under pressure to reform as it finds itself sidelined in wars in Iran, Ukraine and Gaza while also facing a financial crisis that has forced major cuts to humanitarian and development programs.

Feridun Sinirlioglu, a 70-year-old former Turkish foreign minister and UN diplomat, had floated his candidacy on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly’s high-level meeting in New York last month.

Sinirlioglu served as Turkiye’s top diplomat for a few months in 2015, during an interim period between elections, and as its UN ambassador from 2016 to 2023.

He currently serves as the secretary-general of the Vienna-based Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

His current three-year mandate is scheduled to end in December 2027, but the top UN job would start a Jan. 1.

Ahmet Yildiz, Turkiye’s current representative to the UN, told the Anadolu news agency that Sinirlioglu’s name was officially submitted with backing from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Erdogan has been vocal in calling for UN Security Council reform, especially criticizing the dominance of its five permanent members.

Sinirlioglu is likely to reflect the president’s agenda.

The 15-member UN Security Council, especially its five veto-wielding members — the US, Russia, China, Britain and France — will decide the next UN secretary-general.

The 193-member General Assembly must give final approval.

Seven other candidates are vying to replace Guterres as he finishes his ​second five-year term.

Under an informal regional rotation of the UN’s top job, a candidate from the Latin American and Caribbean region could be selected.