SELECTION OF UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERAL

That this House welcomes the work of the 1 for 7 Billion campaign to introduce transparency into the process of selection of the ninth UN Secretary General, who will succeed Ban Ki-moon when his term concludes on 31 December 2016; notes that the campaign is supported by over 750 organisations with a combined reach of more than 170 million people worldwide; further welcomes the candidate debates organised by the campaign, which will be the first in the UN's 70-year history, due to take place in New York on 13 April 2016 and on 3 June 2016 in Central Hall, Westminster, where the first UN Secretary General Trygve Lie, was chosen; further notes in particular the role of the UN Association UK in organising the hustings and supporting the wider campaign; pays tribute to the work of Secretary General Ban since he took office in 2007; and notes that all eight Secretary Generals to date have been men, and the growing calls for a female candidate to be selected as result of the current process.