When Trump and Moscow agree, you know the UN has gone too far
Washington and Moscow agree on very little. This week, diplomats from both countries accused Annalena Baerbock, president of the United Nations General Assembly, of exceeding her authority in the selection of the next U.N. secretary-general. The Trump administration is right. Baerbock has turned a useful exercise in public scrutiny into an attempt to decide which candidates the Security Council may consider.
TL;DR
- Washington and Moscow accuse UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock of exceeding her authority in selecting the next UN secretary-general.
- Article 97 of the U.N. Charter states the secretary-general is appointed by the General Assembly upon recommendation of the Security Council.
- Baerbock's actions, such as conducting audience polls and demanding candidates attend her dialogues, are criticized as unfair and an attempt to influence the Security Council.
- The U.S. views Baerbock's actions as exceeding her role and infringing upon the Charter and the Security Council's authority.
- Russia opposes Baerbock due to her stance against Moscow regarding the war in Ukraine, but its agreement with Washington on this issue stems from a defense of the UN Charter.
- The Security Council held its second poll, with no candidate yet securing necessary consensus, and Baerbock's term ends on September 8th.