UN chief candidates push for more women in top roles

Nearly half the nominees -- who made their presentations before the General Assembly for the first time, in a new, open format -- were women.

"All my life I've fought for gender equality and for women's empowerment," Helen Clark, New Zealand's former prime minister and current head of the U.N. Development Program, said.

"I will certainly be ensuring that the U.N. prioritizes the full and equal participation of women in decision-making, economies and societies and here in this building."

In its 70-year history the eight secretaries general have been male. Many say it is time for a female to take over from current South Korean U.N. chief Ban Ki Moon who steps down in December.

Although the position is technically up for grabs according to an informal rotation system it should go to an Eastern European.

Irina Bokova, Bulgaria's director general of UNESCO, former Moldovan foreign minister Natalia Gherman and Croatia's deputy speaker of the parliament Vesna Pusic are the other female contenders.

During question sessions, the nominees were asked what they would do to rectify the fact that only about 25 percent of the top positions in the U.N. secretariat are occupied by women.

While the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action established a goal of fifty-fifty gender balance in the U.N. system at professional levels by 2000, 16 years on that reality is far off.

Many diplomats believe a strong message will be sent if the global body endorses a woman.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in his 2013 General Assembly address promised to harness the power of women to create "a society in which women shine" at domestic and international levels.

Former Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic plans to bring women into half the top posts on his first day.

Jeremic only jumped into the race on April 11. By Thursday he presented a 53-point plan, which included ways he would realize gender parity.

"I do believe that under any circumstance this election needs to be a turning point for the role of women in the organization," he noted.

Foreign Minister of Montenegro Igor Luksic and former Macedonian Foreign Minister Srgjan Kerim both promised to hire a female deputy secretary general.

Luksic went further, promising that his deputy would come from the Southern hemisphere and might be based in Africa.

Meanwhile, former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres, who most recently served as the U.N. refugee chief, talked about his "road map for parity" at all levels with clear time frames.

Former Slovenian President Danilo Turk said he would "pay special attention" to the gender and geographical imbalance and thought of 10-15 women he could bring on board.

Under the U.N. Charter, the secretary general is chosen by the General Assembly based on the recommendation of the 15-member Security Council.

In reality the process until now has been largely determined by the five veto-wielding permanent members of the council -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- through a relatively secretive process.

"I think the membership of the General Assembly collectively very much appreciated an opportunity to engage with the candidates in this way," Jamaican Ambassador Courtenay Rattray said after the informal dialogues ended on Thursday.

"The changes in the U.N. are very, very slow, but it is a beginning," Argentina's Ambassador Martin Garcia Moritan said.