Friday, March 17 2006 16:11 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

United Nations: Underlining the need for injecting new dynamism in the UN General Assembly, India has asked the 191-member body to play a 'proactive' role in the selection of the new Secretary General.

"The situation today is entirely different. The time has now come for a greater de facto role and not just abstract de jure General Assembly involvement in the selection of the Secretary-General," Indian Ambassador Nirupam Sen said in an address to a UN committee yesterday.

The Assembly, Sen said, should consider formulating guidelines and criteria for the selection of the Secretary General, "A process which will inject new dynamism and impart greater legitimacy to the selection process."

Observing that the Security Council was gathering more powers, he asked the UNGA to take vigorous measures to politically empower itself and reassert itself and stop the Security Council from encroaching on its powers.

"As far as the Security Council is concerned, the days of acclamation seem to be over, there is less and less left to acclaim. The General Assembly has to reassert its appointing role and its primacy in this matter," he added.

Sen also questioned the desirability of the Council recommending only one candidate, saying the procedure was developed during the cold war when it was necessary for the two adversaries to agree on a common name.

Currently, the Secretary General is selected by the 15-member Security Council and endorsed by the Assembly by acclamation.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan's term ends on December 31 this year and consultation on new incumbent are expected tostart within next few months.

Referring to the Volcker Committee report which uncovered corruption in the UN-run oil-for-food programme, the Indian Ambassador said the Secretary-General's 'lack of authority' was not because of any management problem but because the Security Council, specially its permanent members,did not let him have any.

This, he said, points to the necessity of a Secretary General who would be independent of such pressures and this can only be if he is elected by the General Assembly not just de jure but de facto. "This would also establish through action the primacy and authority of the General Assembly".

Sen also asked the Assembly to seek independent reports on major issues and reject those prepared by the Secretariat which do not contain analysis of events or subjects.

He questioned the need for meeting between Presidents of the General Assembly, Security Council and ECOSOC if the Council does not heed sound advice as has happened recently.

"In such cases, it not enough to let the ritual meeting go on and achieve little. It is important for the General Assembly to take matters in hand and hold a debate on the issue where encroachment has taken place and take concrete measures to assert its oversight role and authority," he said.

Referring to peace-keeping missions, Sen reminded the members that the Security Council determines nature, size and duration but it is General Assembly which determines the financing and management.

"Since the Security Council members have been unwilling to finance some of very mandates that they approve, it is perhaps necessary for the General Assembly, by virtue of its responsibility to manage those missions, to take up those mandates and to examine them closely," he said.