Serbia's candidate for next UN sec-gen presents his platform

Serbia's candidate for next UN sec-gen presents his platform

The former Serbian foreign minister and UN General Assembly president said that the world organization will require new global strategies and solutions, and far more intensive international cooperation in ensuring peace, stability and continued human progress under present conditions.

"Thi s is a defining time for the world which is in the midst of a profound transformation, unprecedented in scale, scope, and pace. Whilst it is becoming more interdependent, multipolar and globalized, it is also burdened by growing geopolitical frictions and an erosion of confidence in the international system," Jeremic said.

Ad hoc pluralism, voluntarism, and informal networks, however well-intentioned, cannot be substitutes for concerted, robust, and inclusive multilateralism in the 21st century, he stated, stressing that "at the center of this generational task must stand the UN : the organization uniquely endowed with comprehensive legitimacy and universal membership."

Jeremic said that if elected as the 9th UN secretary-general he would "endeavor from day one" to implement 53 "specific and concrete" commitments contained in his platform.

He said he would be honored to once again serve in the UN, and was seeking support from member states in his bid "guided by three overarching convictions":

"First that ensuring more robust multilateralism represents the strongest safety-net against the global perils we face in our times; second, that a revitalized UN should be the centerpiece of global governance; and third, that UN existing resources must be used more efficiently so that the organization can deliver the results demanded by its membership and the international community at large."

Jeremic said that he was, in his youth, a witness of the consequences of the failure of diplomacy, a lack of the rule of law, and poverty, and that he "fought for democracy, human rights, and reconciliation."

Jeremic, who now heads the Center for International Relations and Sustainable Development (CIRSD) public policy think-tank, also noted that while serving UN General Assembly president, he worked to bridge divisions between developed and developing countries in a way that formalized cooperation between the UN and G20.

Read the full text of Jeremic's "vision statement" (PDF file hosted on un.org)