1981 United Nations Secretary-General selection straw polls, an innovation that became the standard method for selecting a Secretary-General in future open selections. Waldheim's defeat also confirmed the informal two-term limit on the office of Secretary-General, and Pérez's selection firmly established the principle of regional rotation. The Secretary-General of the United Nations is appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council. Therefore, candidates for the office can be vetoed by any of the permanent members. In 1981, Kurt Waldheim of Austria was finishing up his second term as Secretary-General, despite Chinese preferences for a Secretary-General from the Third World. In the 1971
1961 United Nations Secretary-General selection The United States and the United Kingdom argued that the General Assembly could act on its own to provide for the rest of Hammarskjöld's term. Several European countries suggested that the officeholder could not hold the title of Acting Secretary-General, as the selection of anyone called "Secretary-General" would require action by the Security Council. The Soviet Union, India, Ireland, and the Scandinavian countries argued that the Security Council must act to select a replacement for Hammarskjöld. Mongi Slim of Tunisia was elected President of the General Assembly on 21 September 1961. The United States came up with a plan for