Secretary-General of the United Nations the appointee's national origin and to gender equality, although no woman has yet served as Secretary-General. The length of the term is discretionary, but all Secretaries-General since 1971 have been appointed to five-year terms. Every Secretary-General since 1961 has been re-selected for a second term, with the exception of Boutros Boutros-Ghali, who was vetoed by the United States in the 1996 selection. There is a term limit of two full terms, established when China cast a record 16 vetoes against Kurt Waldheim's third term in the 1981 selection. No Secretary-General since 1981 has attempted to secure a third term. The
1961 United Nations Secretary-General selection agreed on Hammarskjöld's successor, they deadlocked on the details of the appointment. The Soviet Union wanted to name an Acting Secretary-General, who must first declare that he would take actions "in agreement" with the Under Secretaries-General. The United States maintained that the Security Council must appoint a permanent Secretary-General, and only the General Assembly could name an interim Secretary-General. The United States also insisted that the Secretary-General must have freedom of action. The main point of disagreement was over the number of Under Secretaries-General. The Soviet Union originally insisted on three Assistants with provision for compulsory consultation, while the United