Ban Ki-moon wants the next UN Secretary-General to serve seven years but only one term

JAKARTA - The former Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) said in a meeting at the UN Security Council this week, the next secretary-general can serve for seven years but only one term, citing the current convention which stipulates two five-year terms makes the incumbent too dependent on the five permanent members of the council (P5) for reappointment.

"Two five-year terms make the secretary-general too dependent on the permanent members of this council for an extension," Ban told the Security Council, launching The National (17/12).

According to Ban, a single term would free the UN leader from the subtle tyranny of reappointment.

Slovenia, which holds the presidency of the council this month, held an open debate on the role and qualities of the next UN leader, who will take office when the second term of Secretary-General Antonio Guterres ends at the end of 2026.

Furthermore, Ban urged member states to provide stronger political support to the next UN leader to match the moral authority of the post, saying credibility alone was not enough without the power to act.

Although the secretary-general is often described as a "secular pope," he said, a moral standing does not mean much without support for mediating conflicts and responding to serious violations of international law.

Ban delivered his sharpest criticism to the Security Council itself, calling it the most visible point of failure of the United Nations.

He highlighted the veto power of permanent members, accusing some of them of routinely obstructing accountability for themselves, their allies, or their representatives.

"Currently, the council is at an impasse on almost all issues," Ban criticized.

"Leading members are undermining the UN's mandate for peace and security by using the veto to protect themselves and others from scrutiny," he added.

Without concrete limits on what he described as arbitrary use or abuse of the veto, Ban warned, the world body would continue to struggle to fulfill its core mission, even as any reforms must ultimately be approved by the council itself.

It is known that the initial process for the next UN Secretary-General's candidacy has begun, with a number of candidate names already mentioned, such as the head of the IAEA Rafael Grossi from Argentina to the former UN Human Rights Chief Michelle Bachelet from Chile.