If I am elected UN Secretary General, I assure you that the UN will be in a much better shape than before. And I can stand for that before the Member States, said Dr. Srgjan Kerim, Macedonian candidate for Secretary General of the United Nations. The statement is part of the interview of Dr. Kerim published in Planet Earth Institute.
We feature the entire interview down below, in which he talks about the plans for sustainable development as well as the global security and climate conditions, and his visions for the United Nations organization.
To what extent in seeking the office of United Nations Security General would you prioritize International Development as a prerequisite of peace and security, and how does Africa feature in your own world-view?
Throughout the United Nations’ history, we have learned that peace and security and sustainable development go hand in hand.
Concerning the second part of the question, Africa features strongly in my worldview. During the preparation of my Manifesto, which sets out a detailed programme for my candidacy for the position of UN Secretary General, I consulted the African Union with the goal of understanding whether the UN’s future priorities coincide with Africa’s Agenda 2063 as well as the continent’s security challenges.
From poverty eradication within the SDGs, via climate change and Financing for Development targets, to the struggle against terrorism, including the UN reform, I am well versed with African countries’ needs and desires.
As Africa embarks on the implementation of Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals, the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) is expected to play an even greater role in follow up and review at the regional level, including facilitating peer learning and knowledge sharing. As a result, Africa and its development partners must increase the impact of APRM by scaling up resource and non-resource support to enhance its capacity.
In his speech at the 26th African Union Summit, President Ban Ki-Moon called on African leaders to move from ‘setting standards for human rights and women’s rights to implementation, institution building and investment’. What steps should African governments take to achieve this?
Africa has made commendable strides on achieving human and women’s rights. It’s amazing to see how women and young people are contributing more to economic and social transformation in the continent’s vibrant societies.
Furthermore, the African Union designated 2015 as the “Year of Women’s Empowerment and Development towards Africa’s Agenda 2063” and 2016 as the “African Year of Human Rights, with particular focus on the rights of women”. This demonstrates the commitment of African countries to uphold human rights and expand opportunities for women’s economic and social participation.
The challenges facing Africa are enormous and cannot be met without the full participation of women and girls. Below are some steps that I believe that African countries can take to ensure that these noble principles will become a reality:
- Create a culture based on respect for human rights, tolerance, understanding and life of dignity for all. Stakeholders, including governments, civil society, religious and community leaders, private sector and academia must join forces to support this endeavour and prioritise it through education and advocacy programmes.
- Promote the rule of law and human rights as well as support female entrepreneurs, access to technology and finance to create a conducive environment for investment and drive economic growth. This will help strengthen the continent’s standing as an attractive destination for investment and businesses.
- Address the unfinished business of the MDGs, particularly with respect to poverty eradication and reducing maternal mortality.
- Mobilise adequate resources for expanding opportunities for women’s participation as well as for gender mainstreaming activities at the national and regional levels.
The Sustainable Development Goals recognize the private sector as a key driver of development. How can for-profit businesses work with African countries and UN agencies to achieve the SDGs’ ambitious agenda?
During my career, I have recognised the importance of engaging the private sector in discussions around implementing this development agenda. On my initiative as President of the UN General Assembly, and with the partnership of former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, I organised the first working meeting and session between leading private sector representatives and African government leaders. We were delighted to see high-level managers from Coca Cola, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, SABMiller, Sumitomo Chemical, Thomson Reuters, Citi, Cisco, Vodaphone and others meet with John Kufuor, the former President of Ghana and President Kagame of Rwanda. The meeting was held in London, May 2008 and ended with concrete arrangements between African countries and the companies in attendance.
I believe that similar meetings should be held regularly, as we work to implement the SDGs, and with the UN Secretary General’s full participation. I also think that UN agencies should play a key role in these discussions.
11th February marked the first UN International Day of Women and Girls in Science. What role can the UN play in ensuring that women are better represented in the sciences?
I firmly believe that gender equality and education, especially in the sciences, are relevant for the development and progress of our societies. What’s more, the UN must further continue to ensure and fight for women’s equality and motivate young girls to obtain their degree. The organisation should also raise awareness of gender disparities in education.
As the international community alongside the UN encourages women and young girls from all around the globe to pursue their education in their fields of interest, I express my support and appreciation for the programs, initiatives and platforms of organizations such as UN Women, The Association for Women in Science, The Royal Academy of Science International Trust (RASIT), DESA-DSPD and many others.
If you were elected UN Secretary General, what do you think the world would look like by the end of your term?
If I am elected UN Secretary General, I assure you that the UN will be in a much better shape than before. And I can stand for that before the Member States.
Great effort is needed to ensure that the world is a better place. To achieve this, we need millions of people to support peace and development over the globe. I will certainly take part in this cause.
My book, Globalization and Diplomacy: In Search of a Better World explores and analyses these challenges in full detail.