Türkiye's candidate to lead the United Nations used his turn before member states in New York on Friday to pitch a leaner, more accountable world body, promising to make the organization "more agile, transparent, digitally capable, financially responsible and accountable." "Taxpayers around the world need to see where their money goes, what projects it finances, and what impact it creates," Feridun Sinirlioglu said.
Sinirlioglu, a veteran Turkish diplomat who currently serves as secretary general of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), spoke at an interactive dialogue with UN member states and civil society representatives at UN headquarters, part of the process to choose a successor to Secretary-General António Guterres, whose term ends on Dec. 31, 2026.
"Not perfect, but indispensable"
"I seek the office of the secretary-general not because I think that the UN is perfect, but because I firmly believe that it is indispensable," he said, warning that "once rules do not matter to some, they won't matter to anyone, and that becomes a problem for everyone." He described a world living through geopolitical tensions "the highest in decades," with an international system "unable to address or even agree on the threats to peace and security."
He said the next secretary-general must be "not only a chief administrator or the voice of the organization, but also an active and experienced diplomatic mediator, prepared to go where peace is most needed," adding that "engaging with those with whom we disagree is not a concession, but a responsibility."
Shipping lanes and five priorities
Addressing maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea, where commercial shipping has come under repeated threat, Sinirlioglu said: "Attacks against commercial vessels, threats to civilian seafarers, and unjustified restrictions on navigation are unacceptable, irrespective of their source or motivation." He listed five priorities: preventing and resolving conflict, restoring confidence in multilateralism, preparing for emerging challenges, accelerating sustainable development and climate action, and protecting human rights.
"A candidate, not a representative"
At a news conference afterward, Sinirlioglu fielded questions about whether he could act independently of Ankara. "I will be an impartial and independent secretary-general. That is part of the job description," he said, according to Anadolu Agency. "I came here not as the representative of my country, but as my country's candidate." He said reform of the UN Charter and the Security Council veto are matters for member states to initiate and decide.
Sinirlioglu is no stranger to UN headquarters: he served as Türkiye's ambassador to the United Nations in New York from 2016 to 2023 and briefly as Türkiye's foreign minister in 2015. Ankara formally submitted his nomination in late October, entering a race in which Security Council members have already begun informal straw polls.
Photo: File
