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
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