The Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations today released a statement following an open debate on the role of the UN Secretary-General, emphasizing the critical challenges and qualities required for the Organization’s chief administrative officer.
In the statement, France paid tribute to the legacy of successive Secretaries-General, from Trygve Lie to Dag Hammarskjöld and the commitment of current Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, acknowledging their service during times of profound global upheaval.
Alors que le monde aspire à une réforme de la gouvernance mondiale, le Secrétaire général 🇺🇳 est l’incarnation d’un ordre international fondé sur le droit et une boussole sur les enjeux globaux et les droits de l’Homme. pic.twitter.com/rOyR8NfQAk
— La France à l’ONU 🇫🇷🇺🇳 (@franceonu) December 15, 2025
Key Mandates for the Secretary-General
France outlined the four principal expectations for the UN Secretary-General:
- Peace and Security: The SG must exercise the full prerogatives conferred by the Charter, particularly Article 99, utilizing good offices, mediation, and conflict prevention tools. France recalled the joint French-Mexican initiative to regulate the veto in cases of mass atrocities, which proposes a role for the Secretary-General in identifying such situations for collective, voluntary restriction.
- Guardian of the Rule of Law: As the incarnation of the international order and depositary of treaties (Article 102), the SG must be the “guarantor of a form of general interest for humanity” and a protector of universal human rights, particularly as their nature is being challenged globally.
- Compass on Global Issues: The Secretary-General is expected to inspire and guide global action on pressing issues such as climate change (recalling the Paris Agreement), global health, and ocean governance.
- Responsible Administrator: The next SG must be accountable for the effectiveness and good management of the entire UN system, requiring the ability to adapt, strengthen the culture of efficiency, and take up the UN80 initiative to address aspirations for sustainable development within a constrained budgetary context.
The Desired Profile
In conclusion, France stated its commitment to paying the “utmost attention” to the choice of the next Secretary-General, which must align with Article 97 of the Charter and Resolution 79/327, recently adopted by consensus.
You May Like To Read: Statement from the White House on Expanded Travel Restrictions to Enhance National Security
France acknowledged the difficulty of finding a personality with the necessary “ability to understand reality in order to move toward the ideal,” currently embodied by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. In this search for a rare personality for a difficult position, France reiterated its strong desire to see as many female candidates as possible put forward for the role.
Check out our latest video: https://youtu.be/0twR-hPzSYw?si=Sl9kkmyHTEfoTIUs
