Türkiye’s UN chief nominee vows ‘a more prosperous world’

NEW YORK

Turkish U.N. secretary-general nominee Feridun Sinirlioğlu

Türkiye’s nominee for U.N. secretary-general, Feridun Sinirlioğlu, has pledged to help “build a more prosperous and just world for all” if chosen to lead the organization.

“If selected, I would dedicate all my experience, energy, and commitment to ensuring that the United Nations remains faithful to the vision of its founders and fit for our common future, preventing conflict, advancing sustainable development, protecting human dignity, and helping to build a more prosperous and just world for all,” Sinirlioğlu said at an interactive dialogue with U.N. member states and civil society representatives over the weekend, as part of the selection process for the organization’s next leader.

He said his approach would be guided by “strict fidelity to the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter,” independence and impartiality, transparency and accountability, partnership with regional organizations, and “a commitment to inclusion, ensuring that all voices, especially those traditionally underrepresented, help shape global solutions.”

Sinirlioğlu, currently secretary general of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), said the world is living through “high geopolitical tensions, the highest in decades.”

“The international system is unable to address or even agree on the threats to peace and security,” he said, adding that economic inequalities are growing within and between countries and “global solidarity is fraying.”

“Human rights are violated in plain sight and undermined by intolerable double standards,” he said.

“I seek the office of the secretary-general not because I think that the U.N. is perfect, but because I firmly believe that it is indispensable,” he said. “Once rules do not matter to some, they won’t matter to anyone, and that becomes a problem for everyone.”

“The UN needs a secretary-general who is not only a chief administrator or the voice of the organization, but also an active and experienced diplomatic mediator, prepared to go where peace is most needed,” he added.

Sinirlioğlu outlined five priorities: Preventing and resolving conflict; restoring confidence in multilateralism; preparing for emerging challenges; accelerating sustainable development and climate action; and protecting human rights.

Türkiye formally submitted Siniroğlu’s nomination at the end of October.

He served as Türkiye’s foreign minister from August to November 2015 and as permanent representative to the U.N. from 2016 to 2023.