Former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has proposed that future holders of the UN’s top office should serve a single, non-renewable seven-year term, arguing that the current two-term convention undermines the independence of the position.
Speaking on Monday before the United Nations Security Council, Ban said that the practice of two five-year terms leaves a secretary-general overly reliant on the Council’s five permanent members, who wield decisive influence over reappointment.
“Two five-year terms leave the secretary-general overly dependent on this council’s permanent members for an extension,” Ban told the Council. He argued that a single term would free the UN’s leader from what he described as the “subtle tyranny of reappointment,” allowing greater independence in decision-making and leadership.
The remarks were delivered during an open debate convened by Slovenia, which holds the Security Council presidency this month. The session focused on the role and qualities of the UN’s next leader, who will assume office when the second term of current Secretary-General Antonio Guterres ends in late 2026.
The debate, held under the theme “Leadership for Peace,” featured contributions from Ban and academic Anjali Dayal, both of whom urged Council members to confront not only mounting global crises but also internal structural constraints that have weakened the UN’s ability to act decisively.
Ban, now an emeritus member of The Elders, warned that global conditions have deteriorated since he left office at the end of 2016. He pointed to intensifying rivalry among major powers, the erosion of multilateral cooperation, and conflicts in which civilians continue to bear the brunt of violence.
“This deeply disappointing situation is characterized by confrontation rather than cooperation among major powers,” he said, citing the war in Ukraine, mass civilian casualties in Gaza, and weakening international cooperation, even as the global climate crisis accelerates.
Ban’s proposal adds to a long-running debate over reform of the UN leadership selection process, with advocates arguing that a single, longer term could strengthen the independence, authority, and moral voice of future secretaries-general.
