Your reference doesn’t really denote that a secgen of the UN CANNOT come from one of those top 5 countries. It is just that it is unlikely.
https://web.archive.org/web/20160420181539/http://www.pbs.org/wnet/un/life/job.html
Q. What qualifications and skills should a Secretary-General have?
A. According to the officials who were drawing up plans for the UN during World War II, the Secretary-General should be young and have diplomatic or political experience. Most importantly, the Secretary-General should know “when to force an issue and be dynamic” or when to “be content as purely administrative official; and when on a middle course be a moderator....”
In reality, when it comes time to appoint a Secretary-General, it is purely a political decision. During the Cold War, qualifications and leadership qualities came second to the U.S. and Soviet Union being able to agree on a nomination. These days, the most important factor is whether the permanent members of the Security Council, especially the U.S., will back the candidate. It’s been said that when looking for a Secretary-General, some of the permanent members look for someone who will be “more secretary than a general.”
One quality shared by past Secretaries-General is that they have all been career diplomats for their own countries. Kofi Annan is the first Secretary-General who has risen through the ranks of the United Nations. Another essential skill is the ability to speak English and French, two of the six official languages of the UN.
https://www.quora.com/Could-Obama-be-secretary-general-of-the-UN
Could Obama be secretary general of the UN?
2 Answers
Profile photo for William Petroff
William Petroff
, Poli Sci B.A. with concentration in International Relations
Answered Dec 4, 2016
There’s no rule that says he can’t.
But, as a practical matter, the Secretary-General of the United Nations is a position that requires the approval of the Security Council, meaning it is subject to the disqualifying disapproval (the “veto power”) of the council’s permanent members.
It is highly unlikely that any citizen from any one of the permanent members, let alone one who had held the country’s most prominent governmental position, would find the needed votes in their favor from each of the other four nations.
As a practical matter one of the Permanent Five will always object. Its in the DNA of bureaucrats to do so.
As far as Obammy, the whole world knew what a lightweight he is so he wouldn’t have been elected by the voting body.