Annan: Woman could lead UN
2006-06-22 21:33
Geneva - UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said on Thursday that he would welcome a woman as his successor when he completes his mandate at the end of this year.
Annan declined to be drawn on the UN leadership race.
"I have no favourite candidate. Quite frankly I'm very happy to be above it all. I have no horse in this race or no dog in this fight. It's a very nice position to be in," he told journalists after a UN meeting in Geneva.
"But after 60 years in existence, if we were to have a woman secretary general it would be great. I think we would all be happy to see that. May the best man or best woman win."
The UN, which was set up in the wake of WW 2, has never had a woman at its helm.
All the candidates in the race so far are men: India's Shashi Tharoor, Jayanatha Dhanapala of Sri Lanka, Suriakiart Sathirathai of Thailand, and South Korea's Ban Ki-Moon.
- SAPA