WILPF UK has signed the 1 for 8 Billion open letter sent to all UN member states, which has been signed by over 190 organisations and over 300 civil society leaders, lawyers, academics, humanitarian workers and UN staffers, signing in their personal capacity.
The letter urges member states to support only women candidates and ensure a transparent, inclusive process to select the next Secretary-General with meaningful civil society participation.
The letter was coordinated by the 1 for 8 Billion campaign, in partnership with the Nobel Women’s Initiative, Peace Direct and the International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN). It’s signatories represent over 80 countries.
Open letter to all member states of the UN in favour of a woman SG and civil society involvement in the upcoming UN Secretary-General selection process
Dear Member States,
As the next Secretary-General selection process approaches, we ask you to support women candidates and insist on civil society inclusion in the upcoming process.
We live in grave and divisive times. The upcoming appointment will shape whether the United Nations can rise to the formidable challenges facing humanity. The world not only needs a credible and effective UN leader, it also needs an appointment process that confers the legitimacy, popular support, and moral authority required to drive forward the UN’s agenda.
After 80 years of male leadership, as the UN’s normative power wanes and inequality can no longer be tolerated, one principle stands out: the next Secretary-General must be a woman — a leader with a proven record on gender equality and a steadfast commitment to peace, human rights, sustainable development, multilateralism, and the inclusion of civil society.
Gender equality is a fundamental human right and a core guiding principle of the United Nations. Supporting this measure is in line with international obligations under the UN Charter and the CEDAW Convention, and with the UN’s own commitment to gender parity, recognized as an operational necessity to strengthen the Organization’s credibility and impact, and as a necessary foundation for a peaceful, fair and sustainable world. The Organization simply cannot be effective if it continues to be seen as an 80+ year old beacon of inequality.
Together with the 1 for 8 Billion campaign we urge your government to show decisive leadership: commit publicly and at the highest level to only supporting women candidates in the upcoming Secretary-General selection process while encouraging all states to do the same.
To those who may question whether emphasizing women’s leadership undermines merit, we offer a clear response: it does not — it restores it. For too long, the global leadership landscape has been blighted by structures that narrow the field of opportunity; that privilege the familiar over the qualified. The persistent absence of women at the helm of the UN is not the result of a lack of merit among women; it is evidence of systemic barriers that continue to obstruct it.
This is a historic moment that requires a new approach. For male leaders, it should mean supporting women to bring their vision, experience, and leadership to the forefront of the UN.
We also ask Member States to promote a transparent, inclusive selection process with the meaningful participation of civil society. The nature of the appointment process can make or break the credibility and mandate of the successful candidate. An accountable process, open to and inclusive of the people the UN serves, is vital to help revitalise the UN, enhance its effectiveness and reaffirm its popular appeal.
The credibility and future of the United Nations depend on change. This is a moment for courage. This is a moment for states to champion equality, transparency, and inclusion.
We the peoples of the United Nations cannot afford anything less.
Yours faithfully,
