UN Secretary-General candidates face first interviews

The public has got a first-look at the candidates hoping to become the
next United Nations Secretary-General.

For the first time ever the UN is throwing open the process, holding
open interviews.

Nick Harper reports from the UN in New York.

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TAKE VO
A very public job interview. Over three days the eight candidates for
the world's top diplomat job are getting a grilling before the United
Nations members and media.

NATSOUND
"What do you consider your most important achievement."
"How do you think about peace keepers

TAKE VO
Tough questions in an unscripted environment. This is the first time
the UN has held open, public interviews.
The idea, to give transparency to what has been considered a rather
murky selection process.
Something championed by the President of the General Assembly, Mogens Lykketoft.

Mogens Lykketoft, President of the General Assembly
This is a historic moment. Much of what we are embarking on today is
without precedent at the UN.

TAKE VO
First up Montenegro's Foreign Affairs Minister Igor Luksic, the head
of UNESCO Irina Bokova, and the former High Commissioner for Refugees
Antonio Guterres.
Yvonne Terlingen from the 1 for 7 Billion campaign has long been
campaigning for more transparency.

Yvonne Terlingen, 1 for 7 Billion campaign
"Everybody will know know who the candidates are and they will not
only know who they are, they will have their CVs, and they will have
vision statements which the UN has asked for - unprecedented
information."

TAKE VO
But despite all of the openness and transparency there's still some
concern that the real decision will still be made by the Security
Council.
Because as before it'll be the permanent five members of the Council,
the US, China, Russia, France and the UK, who get the final say.
And that fact leaves some wondering if anything has really changed.
Here's Richard Gowan, Fellow, from the European Council on Foreign Relations.

Richard Gowan, Fellow, European Council on Foreign Relations
"This time the five permanent members of the Council have said 'OK
let's open up the process, let's have public hearings. At the end of
the day it's those five who are still going to make the choices. But
at least we get to see the candidates in some detail early on. But we
may see everything come back to a dirty power game at the end and that
will leave a lot of people feeling a bit hollow and a bit cheated."

TAKE VO
So expect more meetings, and potentially more candidates.
Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is hotly tipped to enter the race.
And we could see the first ever female Secretary-General chosen.
The final candidate is likely to emerge some time in the autumn,
before starting the role on January the 1st.
SOC

ENDS