1971 United Nations Secretary-General selection

Selection of Kurt Waldheim 1971 United Nations Secretary-General selection United Nations no 1961 United Nations Secretary-General selection 1961 1976 United Nations Secretary-General selection 1976 17 December 1971 – 21 December 1971 UN Secretary-General U Thant Kurt Waldheim Country Best vote Vetoes Round Kurt Waldheim UN (cropped).jpg 125 120 160 0 0 Kurt Waldheim Austria 11 15 lightblue None 3rd round21 December 1971 Carlos Ortiz de Rozas.jpg 125 120 160 0 0 Carlos Ortiz de Rozas Argentina 12 15 lightblue Soviet Union 3rd round21 December 1971 Ambassador Max Jakobson 1968 (JOKAHBL3E I05-1).tif 400 120 160 90 170 Max Jakobson Finland 9 15 lightblue Soviet Union 3rd round21 December 1971 A United Nations Secretary-General selection was held in 1971 to succeed U Thant, who was stepping down after two full terms. Three candidates received enough votes in the Security Council to be selected Secretary-General: Carlos Ortiz de Rozas of Argentina, Kurt Waldheim of Austria, and Max Jakobson of Finland. However, all of the frontrunners were vetoed in the first two rounds of voting. In the third round, Waldheim accidentally escaped a triple-veto when three permanent members failed to coordinate their votes and all abstained. As a result, Kurt Waldheim was selected Secretary-General of the United Nations for a term starting 1 January 1972. Background The Secretary-General of the United Nations is appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council. Candidates for the office can be vetoed by any of the five permanent members. Members of NATO and the Warsaw Pact were not eligible for the job, as they would be vetoed by the opposing superpower. Only diplomats from neutral countries could expect to escape a veto. On 18 January 1971, Secretary-General U Thant announced that he would not seek another term.'No Intention' to Serve Third Term, Thant Says https://www.nytimes.com/1971/01/19/archives/no-intention-to-serve-third-term-thant-says.html The New York Times 19 January 1971 Thant had been serving as Secretary-General since 1961, when his predecessor Dag Hammarskjöld died in a plane crash. The Soviet Union, France, and Third World countries wanted to draft Thant for at least one more year in office,FRUS 1969–1976 V Document 219: Telegram From the Mission to the United Nations to the Department of State, June 18, 1971, 2305Z.Tanner Henry Thant Says Farewell to the U.N. Staff https://www.nytimes.com/1971/09/11/archives/thant-says-farewell-to-the-un-staff.html The New York Times 11 September 1971 as he had been strongly opposed to apartheid and colonialism.FRUS 1969–1976 V Document 213: Telegram From the Mission to the United Nations to the Department of State, May 10, 1971, 1300Z. However, Thant declared that his decision was "final and categorical,"'The Most Impossible Job' https://www.nytimes.com/1971/09/15/archives/-the-most-impossible-job.html The New York Times 15 September 1971 and he would not serve "even for two months" past the end of his term. The United States also opposed another term for Thant, citing his administrative shortcomings and his opposition to the Vietnam War. Candidates Official candidatesImageCandidatePositionNominated byRegional groupNotes 90px Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees United States Asian Group Triple-citizen of France, Iran, and Switzerland, but nominated by United States. Hamilton Shirley Amerasinghe Permanent Representative of Ceylon to the U.N.Ceylon's Delegate to Seek Thant Post https://www.nytimes.com/1971/04/24/archives/ceylons-delegate-to-seek-thant-post.html The New York Times 24 April 1971 Ceylon 1951 Asian Group 90px Felipe Herrera President of Inter-American Development Bank (1960–1970) Chile Latin American Group 90px Gunnar Jarring U.N. Special Representative in the Middle East (1967–1971), Ambassador of Sweden to the Soviet Union Soviet Union Western European and Others Group Citizen of Sweden, but nominated by Soviet Union as a Scandinavian alternative to Jakobson. Declared that he would not run for the office, but would serve if selected unanimously by the Security Council. 90px Max Jakobson Permanent Representative of Finland to the U.N. Finland Western European and Others Group 90px Endelkachew Makonnen Minister of Communications of Ethiopia, Former Permanent Representative of Ethiopia to the U.N. Ethiopia 1897 African Group Ethiopian Seeks U.N. Post The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1971/02/11/archives/ethiopian-seeks-un-post.html Reuters 11 February 1971 90px Kurt Waldheim Chair of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space Austria Western European and Others Group Campaign Max Jakobson of Finland entered the race on 20 January 1971. Jakobson had taken a strongly anti-colonial stance, winning him the support of the newly independent countries of Africa.Teltsch Kathleen Finland Offers a Successor for Thant https://www.nytimes.com/1971/01/21/archives/finland-offers-a-successor-for-thant.html The New York Times 21 January 1971 He was supported by the United States and the United Kingdom, while France was troubled only by his inability to speak French.Brewer Sam Pope Jakobson Confident on U.N. Candidacy https://www.nytimes.com/1971/09/18/archives/jakobson-confident-on-un-candidacy.html The New York Times 18 September 1971 Jakobson had been praised privately by Arab diplomats for his fairness in chairing a committee on Palestinian refugees.Teltsch Kathleen 5 Seek to Succeed Thant in 'Most Impossible Job' https://www.nytimes.com/1971/10/06/archives/5-seek-to-succeed-thant-in-mosf-impossible-job.html The New York Times 6 October 1971 However, the Arab countries and the Soviet Union expressed their belief that he would be subject to Zionist pressure because of his Jewish ancestry. Western diplomats believed that the Soviet Union actually opposed Jakobson because of his views on Finnish-Soviet relations,FRUS 1969–1976 V Document 216: Telegram From the Mission to the United Nations to the Department of State, June 3, 1971, 2324Z.FRUS 1969–1976 V Document 222: Memorandum From Marshall Wright of the National Security Council Staff to the President's Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger), September 9, 1971. but Soviet diplomat Victor Israelyan revealed decades later that the Soviet Union vetoed Jakobson on behalf of the Arabs.Israelyan Victor On the Battlefields of the Cold War: A Soviet Ambassador's Confession November 2010 Penn State Press 9780271047737206–207 Kurt Waldheim of Austria was long rumored to be interested in the position of Secretary-General. After losing the Austrian presidential election to the incumbent Franz Jonas in April 1971,President Jonas of Austria Is Re-elected https://www.nytimes.com/1971/04/26/archives/president-jonas-of-austria-is-reelected.html The New York Times 26 April 1971 Waldheim turned his efforts to the U.N. Secretary-Generalship. On 16 June 1971, Waldheim called on the U.S. Department of State to make it known that he would be available for the position. Unlike Jakobson, Waldheim spoke French fluently and could count on the French vote.FRUS 1969–1976 V Document 218: Telegram From the Department of State to the Mission to the United Nations, June 16, 1971, 2105Z. Waldheim also counted on Soviet support in case Jakobson's candidacy began to falter.FRUS 1969–1976 V Document 224: Telegram From the Mission to the United Nations to the Department of State, October 5, 1971, 0003Z. The United States was unenthusiastic about Waldheim, as his "greatest asset" and "greatest liability" was that he had no enemies and wouldn't do anything to make enemies.FRUS 1969–1976 V Document 237: Telegram From the Department of State to the Mission to the United Nations, December 4, 1971, 1649Z. Gunnar Jarring of Sweden was a dark-horse candidate. Although Jakobson won Swedish endorsement as the Scandinavian candidate, the Soviet Union floated Jarring's name as a Scandinavian alternative. Felipe Herrera of Chile picked up support late in the race as Latin American countries united behind his candidacy. Although Herrera had been nominated by the leftist Allende government, even Argentina's military junta committed to support him as the Latin American candidate. Herrera was well-regarded in Latin America as the former head of the Inter-American Development Bank, where he was known as a "developmentalist".FRUS 1969–1976 V Document 226: Memorandum From Marshall Wright and Arnold Nachmanoff of the National Security Council Staff to the President's Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger), November 2, 1971. However, the United States opposed any candidate nominated by the Allende government and felt that Herrera was "a poor manager to boot". On 20 October 1971, the United States instructed its ambassadors to tell Latin American Foreign Ministers, "in deep confidence," that the U.S. could not support a Chilean candidate.FRUS 1969–1976 V Document 225: Telegram From the Department of State to Certain Posts in the American Republics, October 20, 1971, 1622Z. On 5 November 1971, George Bush met with Herrera and revealed that the United States would not support his candidacy.FRUS 1969–1976 V Document 230: Telegram From the Mission to the United Nations to the Department of State, November 6, 1971, 0220Z. Consultations of the permanent members In past selections, the two superpowers had controlled the selection of the next Secretary-General. However, the 1971 selection was complicated by the uncertain status of the Chinese seat in the United Nations. On 20 November 1970, a majority of the General Assembly had voted to expel the Republic of China from the United Nations and replace it with the People's Republic of China. Although the vote had fallen short of the two-thirds required to take effect, supporters of Communist China were confident of victory in 1971.Tanner Henry Peking Receives Majority in U.N.; Fails to Win Seat https://www.nytimes.com/1970/11/21/archives/peking-receives-majority-in-un-fails-to-win-seat-vote-is-51-to-49.html The New York Times 21 November 1970 On 25 October 1971, two-thirds of the General Assembly voted to expel Nationalist China from the United Nations. The Chinese veto was placed in the hands of Communist China, a Third World country that was not aligned with either the United States or the Soviet Union. The United States and the Soviet Union avoided discussing the Secretary-Generalship as they waited to see what the Chinese position would be.Tanner Henry Two are Pushed for Thant's Post https://www.nytimes.com/1971/11/15/archives/two-are-pushed-for-thants-post-but-us-and-soviet-take-waitandsee.html The New York Times 15 November 1971 From early in the race, Max Jakobson had presented himself as the only candidate who was acceptable to the People's Republic of China. The Chinese were publicly noncommittal on the selection of a Secretary-General. However, they revealed to the other permanent members that their top choices were Herrera and Jakobson.FRUS 1969–1976 V Document 243: Telegram From the Mission to the United Nations to the Department of State, December 17, 1971, 0655Z. On 6 December 1971, the permanent members finally began meeting to discuss the selection of a Secretary-General.FRUS 1969–1976 V Document 238: Telegram From the Mission to the United Nations to the Department of State, December 7, 1971, 0612Z. Despite Thant's "final and unequivocal" decision to step down,Thant is Firm on Stepping Down https://www.nytimes.com/1971/10/19/archives/thant-is-firm-on-stepping-down.html The New York Times 19 October 1971 the Soviet Union expressed its desire to draft Thant for at least a few months to deal with the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.Teltsch Kathleen Soviet Said to Want Thant to Stay Briefly https://www.nytimes.com/1971/12/10/archives/soviet-said-to-want-thant-to-stay-briefly.html The New York Times 10 December 1971 Although Thant had recently been treated at Leroy Hospital for a bleeding ulcer, Soviet ambassador Yakov Malik said that Thant could not be expected to be "100 percent fit as an astronaut" and needed two weeks of vacation. The U.S. and British ambassadors argued that Thant should be allowed to step down, and U.S. Secretary of State William P. Rogers instructed Bush to veto Thant if his name appeared on the ballot. Voting On 17 December 1971, the Security Council met in closed session to vote on the selection of a Secretary-General. As usual, the vote was taken by secret ballot. The permanent members voted on red ballots and the rotating members voted on white ballots. December 2025 Straw polls began in 1981; no evidence that the red & white ballot system predated that; the cited US State Department records indicate that number of P5 negative votes was unknown if a candidate didn't reach 9 yes votes Although Jakobson had been presumed the frontrunner for the past 11 months, Kurt Waldheim was the only candidate to win the required 9-vote majority.Security Council Fails to Agree In Session on Thant's Successor https://www.nytimes.com/1971/12/18/archives/security-council-fails-to-agree-in-session-on-thants-successor.html The New York Times 18 December 1971 However, Waldheim was vetoed by China and the United Kingdom.Sievers Loraine Davis Sam The Procedure of the UN Security Council 2014 Oxford University Press 9780199685295 4411 Felipe Herrera of Chile was kept on the ballot at Chinese and Soviet insistence. Every candidate was vetoed except Gunnar Jarring of Sweden, who became the presumed frontrunner.Tanner Henry Jarring Reported in Lead for Thant's Job https://www.nytimes.com/1971/12/19/archives/jarring-reported-in-lead-for-thants-job.html The New York Times 19 December 1971 On 20 December 1971, Waldheim continued to lead with 11 votes but was vetoed by China. Carlos Ortiz de Rozas arrived on the ballot with a surprisingly-strong 10 votes but was vetoed by the Soviet Union. Jakobson received the required minimum of 9 votes but was vetoed by the Soviet Union. Jarring managed only 7 votes. Every candidate received at least one negative vote from a permanent member, and some candidates even received four. Diplomats expected the veto duel to continue in the third round of voting.Argentine Joins Race for U.N. Post as Voting Goes On https://www.nytimes.com/1971/12/21/archives/argentine-joins-race-for-un-post-as-voting-goes-on.html The New York Times 21 December 1971 Accidental Waldheim victory On 21 December 1971, the U.S. and British delegations received instructions from their governments to prevent Kurt Waldheim from being selected in that day's voting. Since both countries had voted in favor of Waldheim on 20 December 1971, they decided to abstain if they were "reasonably certain" that the Chinese would veto Waldheim again. U.S. ambassador George H. W. Bush asked British ambassador Colin Crowe to talk to the Chinese, but Crowe thought that it would "only arouse suspicion". Instead, they asked the Norwegian and Finnish ambassadors how the Chinese would vote, receiving assurances that the Chinese would continue to veto Waldheim. Bush also talked to Jakobson, who said that the Chinese would veto Waldheim "all the way through".FRUS 1969–1976 V Document 247: Telegram From the Mission to the United Nations to the Department of State, December 22, 1971, 0356Z. In the third round of voting, Carlos Ortiz de Rozas moved into the lead with 12 votes but was vetoed by the Soviet Union. Waldheim came in second with 11 votes but received no vetoes.Tanner Henry Security Council Names Waldheim to Succeed Thant https://www.nytimes.com/1971/12/22/archives/security-council-names-waldheim-to-succeed-thant-austrians.html The New York Times 22 December 1971 To the surprise of the Americans and British, the Chinese abstained instead of vetoing Waldheim. As a result, Kurt Waldheim was successfully recommended as Secretary-General of the United Nations for a term beginning on 1 January 1972. As usual, the voting rounds and recommendation were held in private meetings, and the recommendation after the last round was by unanimous acclamation (United Nations Security Council Resolution 306). Voting results + United Nations Secretary-General selection results, 1971 Candidate 17 December Round 1 For Against Abstain Vetoes France 1830Iran 1964Switzerland Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan 3 Yes (unknown) Ceylon 1951 Hamilton Shirley Amerasinghe 5 Yes (unknown) Chile Felipe Herrera 7 4 4 United States Sweden Gunnar Jarring 7 5 3 None Finland Max Jakobson 8 5 2 Yes (unknown) Ethiopia 1897 Endelkachew Makonnen 4 Yes (unknown) Austria Kurt Waldheim 10 3 2 ChinaUnited Kingdom + United Nations Secretary-General selection results, 1971 Candidate 20 DecemberFRUS 1969–1976 V Document 246: Telegram From the Mission to the United Nations to the Department of State, December 21, 1971, 0250Z. 21 December Round 2 Round 3 For Against Abstain Vetoes For Against Abstain Vetoes Ceylon 1951 Hamilton Shirley Amerasinghe 4 6 5 Yes Removed from ballot Niger Issoufou Saidou-Djermakoye 5 8 2 Yes Removed from ballot Chile Felipe Herrera 7 6 2 Yes Sweden Gunnar Jarring 7 4 4 China + 1 (unknown) Finland Max Jakobson 9 5 1 Soviet Union 9 5 1 Soviet Union Argentina Carlos Ortiz de Rozas 10 3 2 Soviet Union 12 3 0 Soviet Union Iran 1964 Abdul Majid Rahmena 3 8 4 Yes Removed from ballot Guyana Shridath Ramphal 3 7 5 Yes Removed from ballot Chile Gabriel Valdés 7 5 3 Yes Austria Kurt Waldheim 11 2 2 China 11 1 3 None Conclusions The Austrian campaign for Kurt Waldheim was successful even though he was "regarded as lacking sufficient stature and drive to be taken seriously". French ambassador Jacques Kosciusco-Morizet said that it was "not enough to have a candidate against whom there is no objection. A candidate for SYG [Secretary-General] should also have something in his favor." British ambassador Colin Crowe disagreed that Waldheim was even "non-objectionable". However, Waldheim received strong diplomatic backing from Austria's Social Democratic government under Bruno Kreisky, even though Waldheim was from the opposition Austrian People's Party. Waldheim was also favored by the Soviet Union. During a dinner at Waldheim's house, Soviet ambassador Yakov Malik proposed a toast to the host, "May all your wishes come true." The Finnish campaign for Max Jakobson was marked by a number of missteps. Although Finland sought the support of the other Scandinavian countries, Swedish diplomat Gunnar Jarring was also nominated and became the only candidate to receive no vetoes in the first round. Jakobson was Jewish and drew opposition from the Arab countries, but Jarring had been the U.N. Special Representative in the Middle East and tried to arrange an Israeli withdrawal from the Sinai. Jakobson's views on Finnish neutrality also drew Soviet opposition,FRUS 1969–1976 V Document 212: Telegram From the Mission to the United Nations to the Department of State, April 20, 1971, 0030Z. while Jarring was Sweden's ambassador to the Soviet Union. Finland pressured Sweden to withdraw Jarring from the race, but Swedish neutrality made it difficult to withdraw a candidate who was supported by one of the superpowers. Waldheim was selected because of a miscalculation by the U.S. and U.K. delegations. On 20 December 1971, George Bush received contradictory information about the Chinese position on Waldheim. The Finnish and Norwegian delegations claimed that China would "veto Waldheim to the bitter end". However, the Austrian and Italian delegations claimed that the Chinese would drop their veto if their preferred candidate could not win. Bush felt that Norwegian ambassador Ole Ålgård had "proven to be most accurate forecaster of PRC positions". The next day, the U.S. and U.K. acted on this belief by abstaining on Waldheim instead of vetoing him, discovering to their surprise that China also abstained. After the surprise victory of Kurt Waldheim, the British and Italian delegations criticized Finnish "overconfidence" that led to "inaccurate Finnish statements concerning positions of alleged supporters". In addition to getting the Chinese position wrong, Finland had also claimed that the Soviet Union would not veto Jakobson, and Sweden would withdraw Jarring. Finland also claimed that the Soviet Union would not veto their candidate and said that the U.S. and U.K. had "let them down" by not vetoing Waldheim. The French were "furious" when the Finns accused them of vetoing Jakobson in the first round, as they had actually abstained. Notes References United Nations, 1969–1972 https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1969-76v05 Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976 V Duncan Evan M. 2004 Washington United States Government Printing Office CITEREFFRUS 1969–1976 V 1971 Category:Kurt Waldheim Category:1971 controversies