Each year, nearly a dozen individually-held senior multilateral posts and various intergovernmental bodies are filled by governments, executive boards or the UN Secretary General. Each selection comes with its own related processes and rules, politics and quirks. In most cases, the work of the organization is more newsworthy than how its executive director or board is selected. Nonetheless, how go
vernments negotiate on filling a seat and how effective a director or board is can determine how well that organization is able to meet its mandate. Global Memo covers the processes and actors involved in the selection of high-level multilateral leadership. The site collates news reports on selection processes, examines candidate qualifications, highlights statements by government officials, and reviews proposals for reform. Information is provided by civil society leaders, government officials and media sources. Given the number and generally technical nature of the various roles, providing an informed insight on selection processes (and being able to translate it for a lay audience) requires contributions from a number of experts or advocates. Their interest in the organization’s work also lends itself well to explaining how the organization’s appointment processes work well, as well as where they don’t.
