The UN has been conducting job interviews for the role of Secretary General in public for the first time ever this week. Labelled as ‘informal’ they still took place live in front of 193 member states and on the web.
Here’s a quick guide to the little tips and tricks of the candidates.
1. Compliment the decor
Even in the blandest surroundings at the UN, it pays to big up the decorators. Danilo Turk (Slovenia) led the way as he carefully tried to work in some reference that showed he was in familiar surroundings.
“I spent most of the 1990’s in New York as a Permanent Represetantive and I must say this room is nicely renovated, I’ve been here many times and participated in many discussions.”
2. Lie about how hard you work
Is it cliched to promise to give 1,000 per cent and work 25 hours a day? You betcha, but let’s still give it a whirl.
Antonio Guterres (Portugal): “How will I be able to balance the managerial, the political, the ceremonial roles? To be honest I don’t know! I will do my best, as I’ve done in other moments in my life, but I know it’s not so easy. I will just work a little bit more than 24 hours a day.”
3. Bring props.
Irina Bokova (Bulgaria) boasted she is so devoted to the organisation that she carries the UN charter in her handbag. Plucking the small booklet out, she waved it in front of her.
“I keep in mind the charter and the current Deputy Secretary General has taught me always to carry with me the charter in my bag. So I’m having it here – and in paragraph 3 of article 110 it is written……”it is necessary to ensure the highest standings..” etc. etc.
She also whisked out the UN’s Agenda for 2030, which she keeps handy.
4. You can never be too bland..
Do you really want to help people. Really? No storebought greeting card has ever attempted to be more sincere than Vesna Pusic (Croatia).
“What would be the message I would start with? Maybe it would be that, on top of having to know many things, whoever is elected Secretary General has to care.
They have to care about the key objectives of this organisation and, without being mushy or over sentimental, have to care about people…. if you don’t care, you won’t be a good Secretary General. It’s not going to help you. So on top of everything else, this is I think where we start, and definitely where I would start, when addressing people who expect this organisation to actually care.”
5. Talk about the importance of women (even if you aren’t one)
Bringing more women into positions of power is an important objective. So, when campaigning as a man, you need to convince others that they are still voting for one.
Vuk Jeremic (Serbia): “Although I am not a woman, this election needs to be a turning point for the role of women in the organisation and there is an important symbolism in having a woman as Secretary General. I don’t think there are any good arguments against that….so I also commit to having a Deputy Secretary General that is going to be a lady and perhaps from a different part of the world and possibly with even more experience in diplomacy than me.”
6. Value a good memory.
Ever struggled over a single interview question? Have sympathy for Helen Clark (NZ) who had to listen to 19 separate questions being asked before being asked to respond to each one by one.
Current standings from William Hill: Helen Clark, 2/1, Irina Bokova 9/4, Antonio Guterres, 6/1, Danilo Turk 6/1, Vuk Jeremic 12/1, Natalia Gherman 16/1, Vesna Pusic 16/1, Srgian Kerim 20/1, Igor Luksic, 25/1
@themoment 