1971 United Nations Secretary-General selection 1971 United Nations Secretary-General selection A United Nations Secretary-General selection was held in 1971 to succeed U Thant, who was stepping down after two full terms. Three candidates received enough votes in the Security Council to be selected Secretary-General: Carlos Ortiz de Rozas of Argentina, Kurt Waldheim of Austria, and Max Jakobson of Finland. However, all of the frontrunners were vetoed in the first two rounds of voting. In the third round, Waldheim accidentally escaped a triple-veto when three permanent members failed to coordinate their votes and all abstained. As a result, Kurt Waldheim was selected Secretary-General of the United
1981 United Nations Secretary-General selection 16 rounds of voting, the 1981 selection finally opened up to other candidates. Nine candidates were nominated for the position of position of Secretary-General. All of the candidates came from the Third World, as China had made it clear that it would only allow candidates from Africa, Asia, or Latin America. The Soviet Union was expected to veto several of the candidates. Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan had grown up in Europe and attended school in the United States. Shridath Ramphal headed the Commonwealth of Nations and had close ties to the United Kingdom. Latin American candidates were considered to fall