Gro Harlem Brundtland

• April 1, 2017

From Asia and Africa to Europe and the Americas, women remain important forces of change as government leaders in the modern era. Indira Gandhi, the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister after its independence, was one of the earliest — and the only woman in India — to hold that position, from 1966 …

BOOKS

One Comment

TOPIC: WOMEN

Being UN Deputy Secretary-General: Louise Fréchette Recounts Her Experience

Barbara Crossette

• November 12, 2016

Louise Fréchette, a Canadian, was the first United Nations deputy secretary-general. Appointed by Kofi Annan, she took office in March 1998, bringing to the job qualifications that exceeded those of most UN secretaries-general. She had spent a quarter-century in the Canadian foreign service, including as ambassador to several Latin American counties and to the …

General Assembly, US-UN Relations, Women

Leave a Comment

UN’s Newest Vote to Pick the Next Secretary-General? Guterres Wins Again

Dulcie Leimbach

• September 26, 2016

António Guterres, a former prime minister of Portugal who most recently was the United Nations high commissioner for refugees, once more dominated the latest straw poll held by the UN Security Council on selecting the next secretary-general. The five-year term starts Jan. 1, 2017, when Ban Ki-moon, a Korean, leaves office. The fifth poll, …

Secretary-General

Leave a Comment

Now Is the Time for a Female Secretary-General, Says a New Campaign [Video]

Dulcie Leimbach

• February 23, 2015

Convinced that after 70 years it is time to choose a woman for the United Nations’ top job of secretary-general, a new movement led by an academic spcialist on the organization has been assembled to formally support the election of a woman for the job. The current secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, a Korean, finishes his …

Secretary-General, Security Council, US-UN Relations, Women

6 Comments

The Elders Support a Diplomatic Opening to Iran

Barbara Crossette

• January 31, 2014

The Elders, a group of distinguished former global leaders led by Kofi Annan, the former United Nations secretary-general, made an unusual three-day visit to Iran at the end of January to meet with numerous officials, including President Hassan Rouhani of Iran. It was the first trip to Iran by The Elders, who said at …

GOINGS-ON

Leave a Comment

GOINGS-ON

The Elders Group Expand Its Membership

Barbara Crossette

• July 19, 2013

The Elders, a unique group of former heads of government and other global leaders, founded in 2007 under the leadership of Nelson Mandela, has added a former president of Mexico and an internationally known Pakistani human-rights advocate to its membership. The inclusion of Ernesto Zedillo, president of Mexico from 1994 to 2000, and Hina …