United Nations Secretary-General selection of the race, but Kurt Waldheim of Austria won the most votes in the first round. Carlos Ortiz de Rozas of Argentina also passed the 9-vote threshold in the second round. However, China vetoed Waldheim, and the Soviet Union vetoed Jakobson and Ortiz. Prior to the third round, the U.S. and UK delegations received instructions to prevent Waldheim from being selected, but they decided to abstain and rely on the Chinese veto. To their surprise, China switched its veto to an abstention. Kurt Waldheim received no vetoes and was selected Secretary-General for a term starting on 1 January 1972. Kurt
1953 United Nations Secretary-General selection fast that there had been no time to consult with them. Dag Hammarskjöld ran unopposed for re-selection in 1957. Hammarskjöld was recommended unanimously by the Security Council on the morning of 26 September 1957. The General Assembly voted unanimously that afternoon to appoint him for another 5-year term. 1953 United Nations Secretary-General selection A United Nations Secretary-General selection was held in 1953 after Trygve Lie announced his intention to resign. Lie had been at odds with the Soviet Union since the outbreak of the Korean War, and the negotiations for an armistice offered the opportunity for a new Secretary-General to