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International

Ban Backs Woman Leader for UN

Secretary-General of United Nations Ban Ki-moon has said he would like a woman to take over from him.

Ban said it was “high time” for a female head, after more than 70 years of the UN and eight male leaders. Of the 11 candidates in the running to take up the post, five are women.

The secretary-general must be recommended by the 15 countries that make up the UN Security Council and elected by 193 countries in the General Assembly. A new secretary-general is expected to be announced in autumn, BBC reported.

By tradition, the role rotates between regions of the world.

Eastern Europe and Russia, which have never had a representative hold the post, say it should be the turn of someone from that region of the world. Candidates for 2016 come from Latin America, Western Europe and Australasia as well as Eastern Europe.