For the first time ever, India has decided to take a shot at one of the highest echelons of international diplomacy, the office of the United Nations secretary-general, by formally deciding to nominate UN under-secretary general Shashi Tharoor for the post.
“India has decided to announce the candidature of Mr Shashi Tharoor, under secretary-general for communications and public information at the UN,” MEA spokesperson Navtej Sarna said on Thursday evening. “India strongly supports the principle of regional rotation under which the next secretary-general of the UN should be from Asia,” he added. Elections for the post will be held in October/November.
Fifty-year-old Tharoor, an Indian national and a well-known writer as well who has worked with the UN since 1978, met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh twice in recent times when he had held discussions with him on the issue.
He faces strong competition from South Korean foreign minister Ban Ki-Moon, Thai Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai and Sri Lankan diplomat Jayantha Dhanapala. If elected, he will be the youngest secretary-general of the world body.
Mr Sarna said the African nations were already backing India’s choice, and New Delhi would approach other countries for more support in the days to come.
The move has come notwithstanding apprehensions in some sections that pushing its hand on the post of secretary general could jeopardise India’s long-standing ambition of becoming a permanent member of the UN Security Council.
Although not specified in the UN charter, the post of secretary general traditionally has not been held by any country with a permanent seat on the Security Council. Also, candidates from major political or economic powers like Japan, and Germany have also consciously opted out from the job.
As a consequence of this unwritten rule, former incumbents have come from smaller states namely Norway (Trygve Lie), Sweden (Dag Hammarskjold), Burma (U Thant), Austria (Kurt Waldheim), Peru (Javier Perez de Cuellar), Egypt (Boutros Boutros-Ghali) and Ghana (Kofi Annan).
The Security Council has already initiated the selection process to appoint Mr Annan’s successor.
“Indian missions across the world have been directed to work with their host governments to support Mr Tharoor’s bid,” said Mr Sarna.
Though Mr Tharoor’s long stint at the UN is an advantage as he knows the system inside out, more important will be the backing of the five members of the Security Council.
Name of Source: Financial Express