Candidature for the position of UNSG:
“I look at the issue of reform as a challenge and I believe in multilateralism. Having led successful reform initiatives in the past, both in the public and private sector, I want to take on that challenge for the United Nations. The U.N. has to be the “paragon” of good governance. For that, it has to be effective, accountable and transparent, and undergo a reform process which will not be painless and will require unpopular decisions.”

“I am proud to be Thailand’s and ASEAN’s candidate. I have been campaigning for that position for the past year - openly running, talking, and listening. I endorse a transparent selection process. I attach great importance to good governance and democracy, and that’s why I declared my candidacy early, because I want people to know about me in a transparent way.”

UN reform - General
“We should not polarize the issue of U.N. reform or any issue at all. There are issues that transcend North and South. The threat posed by nuclear terrorism, pandemics, disaster relief - are they North-South issues, or South-South, or North-North? The reform of the United Nations, should aim to unite the nations; not to divide them.”

UN reform - Management
“I want the U.N. to do more and only an efficient U.N. can do more…There are areas, in which the private sector can do a better job than the public sector.”

The role of the UN Secretary-General
“I believe in preventive diplomacy as a tool for conflict avoidance. The good offices of the secretary general have successfully mediated countless conflicts. Of course, this has limits in terms of stopping war or violence. But if we implement preventive diplomacy, we stay ahead of the problem and make sure that the problem does not arise, and if it does arise, it is more manageable”

“ I support the idea of having a chief operating officer. But the COO of the U.N. would not be exactly like a COO of a company; the U.N.’s chief operating officer would have to consult regularly with member states whereas a COO of a company would not need to do so with its share holders. The secretary general must also have the support of a strong group of policy analysts, to ensure that he has all the information he needs to make decisions as a top diplomat. To have peace, the secretary general should be able to manage change at all fronts.”

“accountability to the General Assembly should not mean micromanagement of the secretary general. I believe in a “can do attitude” and in working around constraints.”

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