NEW YORK, Jun 20 (IPS) – Patricia Espinosa’s six years as Government Secretary of the UN’s local weather change secretariat ends on July fifteenth. Throughout her time in cost, she has led efforts to operationalize the 2015 Paris Settlement and inject larger urgency into the diplomatic course of. Though progress has been tough, COP26 in Glasgow added some momentum and arguably introduced the UN course of to the beginning of its subsequent stage: implementation.
As ideas flip to this subsequent, vital part, a number of names are already circulating for who the subsequent chief ought to be. These embrace the UK’s Alok Sharma, who chaired COP26, former GEF head Naoko Ishii of Japan, and Egypt’s Atmosphere Minister Yasmine Fouad, Sri Mulyani Indrawati of Indonesia Finance Minister and Ambassador Liz Thomson from Barbados amongst others.
So, who ought to step into Espinosa’s sneakers? And what kind of qualities will they should succeed?
Location, Location
For any senior UN job there’s a geopolitical calculation in play. With extra being requested from the International South in combating local weather change, there may be an argument to be made that the subsequent Government Secretary ought to hail from a creating nation. Some observers really feel this could assist construct belief within the local weather talks.
There’s an fairness argument in play right here, too. Traditionally, the primary three UNFCCC leaders had been Europeans: Michael Zammit Cutajar of Malta, then Joke Waller-Hunter and Yvo de Boer, each from the Netherlands. The subsequent two got here from the Americas: Christiana Figueres from Costa Rica, and Mexico’s Patricia Espinosa.
An argument might simply be made that the subsequent chief ought to come from Asia-Pacific or Africa. Apparently, the subsequent two COPs might be in these areas: COP27 in Egypt and COP28 within the United Arab Emirates.
However which ought to or not it’s: Africa or Asia-Pacific? On this respect, it’s price noting that two Africans already lead the opposite so-called Rio Conventions: Ibrahim Thiaw is accountable for the UN’s efforts on desertification, whereas Elizabeth Mrema heads-up biodiversity. Primarily based on this, there’s a robust case for appointing a creating nation particular person from Asia or the Pacific or maybe from the Small Island Creating States as they’re hit worst by the impacts of local weather change.
Searching for brave, ego-free networkers
No matter geography, what kind of qualities would a future chief want? We consider somebody with wonderful networking expertise is crucial, particularly as we transfer from negotiating into implementation mode.
A naturally-charismatic determine who can construct trusting relationships and convey individuals collectively might be important. These are qualities Christiana Figueres deployed to nice impact to assist beginning the Paris Settlement.
Any future UN local weather chief can even want to pay attention to the necessity for subtlety. The truth is, we’d counsel the subsequent chief will must be virtually “egoless” of their pursuit of progress. One of the best UN leaders know when to let their companions—the politicians holding the COP presidency, for example, in addition to different governments heads—take heart stage.
They know not solely when to step up, but additionally when to step again and share the limelight. On this respect, Michael Zammit Cutajar—who led the UN local weather secretariat in its early years—was a grasp, as was deputy chief Richard Kinley (2006-2017).
There is a vital lesson right here: any chief who believes it’s all about them, or that they will allure or compel governments to behave, might be doomed to failure. This can be a explicit danger for candidates who’ve been senior politicians prior to now. They must curb the intuition to garner headlines for themselves. On this position the flexibility to hear, not simply discuss, might be vital.
The subsequent Government Secretary ought to ideally have been lively within the local weather negotiations for a while. This can be a sophisticated discipline they usually might want to have a very good understanding of not simply the problems or political positions of varied nation groupings, but additionally the people who find themselves doing the negotiating.
Diplomacy is at all times a posh net of geopolitical positions, however beneath this are people. An efficient chief will get to know the individuals concerned and search to construct private belief. Having somebody who already is aware of the important thing people concerned will assist them hit the bottom operating.
The position can even require each braveness and persistence. These are qualities we consider are important for any profitable chief relating to multilateral environmental agreements. It’s one thing we discover in-depth in our guide, Heroes of Environmental Diplomacy: Profiles in Braveness. Sure, the science is telling us we should supercharge our efforts and dash to the end line. Nonetheless, persistence and the information that every one diplomacy is a marathon might be wanted by whoever takes on this vital position.
Lastly, that is such an vital appointment that we’d suggest the hiring course of be undertaken within the open. What we imply by that is that there might be “hustings” for member states and stakeholders to query the candidates, as there may be for the UN Secretary Common’s place. “City corridor” conferences with employees would even be helpful so their enter might be thought of.
It isn’t hyperbole to counsel this appointment comes at a vital time for our planet. The necessity for impressed, brave and distinctive management has by no means been larger.
We want the selectors—and their selection—one of the best of luck.
Chris Spence and Felix Dodds are co-editors of Heroes of Environmental Diplomacy: Profiles in Braveness (Routledge, 2022). Felix can also be Adjunct Professor on the College of North Carolina (UNC) and an Affiliate Fellow on the Tellus Institute. Chris is an environmental marketing consultant and award-winning author. Each have been concerned within the UN local weather negotiations because the Nineteen Nineties.
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