Official Candidate for UN Secretary-General
Nominated by the Republic of Moldova
February 19, 2016
Ms. Natalia Gherman is a former Deputy Prime-minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the Republic of Moldova. She is a career diplomat holding the diplomatic rank of Ambassador. In June-July 2015 she was Acting Prime-minister of the Republic of Moldova.
Ms. Gherman began her long career in service to her country as the Second Secretary for the Department of International Organizations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Moldova from 1991-2; then First Secretary for the Department of European Organizations from 1992-4. From 1994-7, Ms Gherman served as Counselor and Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Moldova to the OSCE and the UN Agencies in Vienna; from 1997-2001, becoming the Deputy Head of the Department of European Security and Political-Military Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Moldova. Ms. Gherman served as Minister-Counselor of the Embassy of the Republic of Moldova in Brussels as well as Deputy Head of the Mission of Moldova to NATO from 2001-2. This led to Ambassadorships, first as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Moldova to the Republic of Austria as well as Permanent Representative to the UN Agencies in Vienna and to the OSCE. Representing her country to the OSCE in Vienna, Ms. Gherman has been a prominent contributor to the efforts of the Organization on identifying solutions to the unresolved conflicts in the OSCE area, at the same time mobilizing the potential of the OSCE community towards the resolution of the Transnistrian conflict in the Republic of Moldova in accordance with the International Law. From 2006-9, Ms. Gherman served as first resident Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Norway and the Republic of Finland. For her merits in promoting relations between Sweden and Moldova, His Majesty the King of Sweden awarded Ms. Gherman the Royal Order of the Polar Star of the Kingdom of Sweden in the rank of Commander First Class.
As Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the Republic of Moldova in 2009-13, Ms. Natalia Gherman was the Chief Negotiator on behalf of the Republic of Moldova for the Association Agreement, the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area and the visa liberalization dialogue with the European Union. For the successful negotiations of these crucial Agreements that paved the way for Moldova's European Integration, in 2014 Ms. Gherman was awarded the highest national distinction - the Order of the Republic of Moldova.
In 2013, Ms. Gherman was honored with dual role of Deputy Prime-minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration. She also served as Member of the Parliament in 12/2014 - 2/2015, being member of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs and European Integration. Since 2/2015 when the new Government was sworn in as a result of the Parliamentary elections, Ms. Gherman resumed her current role as Deputy Prime-minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Policy and European Integration.
Ms. Natalia Gherman was born in Chisinau, Republic of Moldova. She received her BA from the State University of the Republic of Moldova and her MA in War Studies from London University's King's College.
She is mother to son Mircea Gherman and the daughter of Moldova's first President Mircea Snegur (1990-7).
In March 2014, Ms. Natalia Gherman was among seven most impressive women leaders in the world, selected by The Guardian UK for the ranking "Seven women to watch in global politics who are leading positive change all over the world".
In February 2016, the Moldovan government formally nominated Ms. Gherman as a candidate for the position of UN Secretary-General.
Irina Bokova, currently serves as the Director-General of UNESCO.
Born in Sofia, Bulgaria she graduated from Moscow State Institute of International Relations, and studied at the University of Maryland (Washington) and the John F. Kennedy School of Government (Harvard University).
Ms. Bokova joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria in 1977 where she was responsible for human rights and equality of women issues. She was later appointed in charge of political and legal affairs at the Permanent Mission of Bulgaria to the United Nations in New York. She was also a member of the Bulgarian Delegation at the United Nations conferences on the equality of women in Copenhagen (1980), Nairobi (1985) and Beijing (1995).
As Member of Parliament (1990-1991 and 2001-2005), she participated in the drafting of Bulgaria’s new Constitution, which contributed significantly to the country’s accession to the European Union. Ms. Bokova was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs and Coordinator of Bulgaria-European Union relations from 1995 to 1997; Ambassador of Bulgaria to France, Monaco and UNESCO from 2005 to 2009; and Personal Representative of the President of Bulgaria to the "Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie" (OIF).
Irina Bokova is an active member of many international experts networks. She is a President and founding member of the European Policy Forum. For many years she has worked to overcome European divisions and to foster the values of dialogue, diversity, human dignity and human rights.
As Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova is actively engaged in international efforts to advance quality education for all, gender equality, cultural dialogue and scientific cooperation for sustainable development and is leading UNESCO as a global advocate for safety of journalists and freedom of expression.
In February 2016, the Bulgarian government formally nominated Ms. Bokova as a candidate for the position of UN Secretary-General.
Official Candidate for UN Secretary-General
Nominated by the Government of Bulgaria
February 11, 2016
QUICK FACTS
NAME
Irina Bokova
BIRTHDATE
12 July 1952
EDUCATION
Moscow State Institute of International Relations,
University of Maryland, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
PLACE OF BIRTH
Sofia, Bulgaria
RESIDENCY
Bulgaria
LANGUAGES
Bulgarian, English, French, Spanish, Russian
Irina Bokova
QUICK FACTS
NAME
Natalia Snegur Gherman
BIRTHDATE
20 March 1969
EDUCATION
State University of the Republic of Moldova, King’s College, London University
PLACE OF BIRTH
Chișnău, Republic of Moldova
RESIDENCY
Republic of Moldova
LANGUAGES
English, German, Romanian, Russian
Official Candidate for UN Secretary-General
Nominated by New Zealand
April 4, 2016
Helen Clark is Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and is the first woman to lead the organization. She also chairs the UN Development Group, a committee consisting of the heads of all development-related UN funds, programmes and departments.
After receiving a Master’s degree in Political Science from the University of Auckland in 1974, Ms. Clark became a professor in the field, and taught at Auckland from 1973 to 1981. She joined the Labour Party in 1971, but was elected to Parliament from a different constituency in 1981, thus beginning her rise past the “glass ceiling.”
She held various positions such as: Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee from 1984 to 1987; and Minister, responsible for the Conservation, Housing, Health and Labour portfolios from 1987 to 1990.
Ms. Clark went on to become the first woman in New Zealand to serve as Deputy Prime Minister from 1989 to 1990; first woman appointed to the Privy Council in 1990; first woman to be elected as head of a major party (the Labour Party) in 1993; and the first woman elected Prime Minister of New Zealand, serving in this role for three consecutive terms from 1999 to 2008. As Prime Minister, she served as a member of the Council of Women World Leaders, an international network of current and former women presidents and prime ministers whose mission is to mobilize the highest-level women leaders globally for collective action on issues of critical importance to women and equitable development.
Ms. Clark is the recipient of the Danish Peace Foundation’s Peace Prize and was made a member of the Order of New Zealand (New Zealand’s highest honor) in 2009. She has also been listed as one of Forbes Magazine’s top 100 Most Powerful Women in the World for ten years.
In April 2016, the government of New Zealand formally nominated Ms. Clark as a candidate for the position of UN Secretary-General.
QUICK FACTS
NAME
Helen Clark
BIRTHDATE
26 February 1950
EDUCATION
University of Auckland
PLACE OF BIRTH
Hamilton, New Zealand
RESIDENCY
New Zealand
LANGUAGES
English
Official Candidate for UN Secretary-General
Nominated by the Government of Argentina,
May 23, 2016
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On May 23, 2016, international public servant Susana Malcorra became the 5th woman officially nominated by her country for UN Secretary-General. She was also recently appointed Minister of Foreign Relations by Argentine President Macri in November 2015 as a leader within his inaugural cabinet. In assuming the role, Ms. Malcorra resigned her position as Chef de Cabinet for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, a position she has held since March 2012. As Chef de Cabinet, she was also a member of the UN’s Senior Management Group (SMG), chaired by the UN Secretary-General, which serves as a forum for planning and information sharing, as well as policy related matters, in response to emerging challenges and cross-cutting issues.
Prior to this appointment, in March 2008 Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed Ms. Malcorra as Under-Secretary-General for Field Support, which provides dedicated support to all UN peacekeeping field missions and political field missions. In her role as USG, Ms. Malcorra served as the leading staff at UN headquarters for more than 120,000 military, civilian, and police personnel deployed around the world.
Between 2004 and 2008, Ms. Malcorra served as Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP). Throughout her tenure she oversaw daily emergency and humanitarian operations in more than 80 countries, including leading the initial phase of the operational response to the Indian Ocean Tsunami in December 2004.
Prior to entering the international civil service, Ms. Malcorra worked for twenty-five years in the private sector, advancing to leadership positions both at IBM and Telecom Argentina, where she served as that organization’s first female Chief Executive Officer.
QUICK FACTS
NAME
Susana Malcorra
BIRTHDATE:
1954
EDUCATION
University of Rosario, Argentina
PLACE OF BIRTH
Argentina
RESIDENCY
Argentina and New York
LANGUAGES
Spanish, English
Susana Malcorra
Kristalina Georgieva
Official Candidate for UN Secretary-General
Nominated by the Government of Bulgaria
September 29, 2016
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Kristalina Ivanova Georgieva currently serves as the European Union Commission Vice-President for Budget and Human Resources. In this role since 2014, Ms. Georgieva negotiates and manages the EU budget, ensuring that it is invested in the best way to serve EU citizens. She protects the EU budget from fraud and corruption and develops a corporate talent‑management policy in the Commission, an organization with more than 33,000 staff members. Prior to this promotion, she served the EU as the European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response since her appointment in February 2010.
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She earned an MA in Political Economy and Sociology from the University of National and World Economy in Sofia, Bulgaria. She completed post-graduate research and studies in natural resource economics and environmental policy at the London School of Economics and also studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
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Known as a lecturer on economies in transition, Ms. Georgieva began her career in the early 1990s as an economic consultant and academic lecturer before joining the international economic and finance sector in 1993.
She served as Senior Environmental Economist in the Environment Division for Europe and Central Asia under the World Bank Group and continued to advance at the World Bank, becoming Vice President and Corporate Secretary for the Group. Ms. Georgieva has additionally served on the World Bank’s Board of Trustees.
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Ms. Georgieva was named both “European of the Year” and “EU Commissioner of the Year” in 2010 in acknowledgement of her outstanding work following the Haiti earthquake and the floods in Pakistan.
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When elected as a Commissioner to the EU, the European Commission President José Manual Barroso praised Georgieva when announcing his endorsement, stating that “Mrs. Georgieva has solid international experience and knowledge which is going to contribute significantly to her capacity as EU Commissioner.”
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While serving as EU Commissioner in response to Haiti’s devastating 2010 earthquake, she made sure that the EU became the primary humanitarian donor to the struggling nation.
QUICK FACTS
NAME
Kristalina Ivanova Georgieva
BIRTHDATE
13 August, 1953
EDUCATION
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, London School of Economics, Harvard Business School
PLACE OF BIRTH
Sofia, Bulgaria
RESIDENCY
Washington D.C.
and Brussels
LANGUAGES
Bulgarian, English, Russian