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s the world is undergoing rapid demographic, economic, social, environmental, technological and geopolitical transformation, the only constant is the desire to move forward towards something different, something better.

The pace of change gives rise to both opportunities and threats. Today, we are experiencing many different crises — including poverty, wars, violent extremism, migration, climate change and organized crime — that have global consequences. Seventy-one years ago, the United Nations was the institution that rose from the ashes after World War II and it has helped us to manage conflict ever since.

Today, the UN must be prepared to adapt to the new circumstances and be a driver of change. Last year, major agreements were reached by all UN member states, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda. This year, the New Urban Agenda will be adopted.

When the next UN secretary-general takes office on Jan. 1, 2017, business as usual will simply not do. It is the joint responsibility of the member states and the next secretary-general to adapt the UN to deal with current global challenges and to increase the organization’s effectiveness.

That is why we — Colombia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Indonesia, Jordan, Mexico and Norway — have joined forces and agreed on five recommendations for the next secretary-general, who will be working on behalf of the world’s seven billion people.

1. Be your own boss

Invest in your relationships with all member states, but be your own boss. Under the UN Charter, your office — the Secretariat — is one of the principal organs of the UN. However, the Secretariat is constantly subject to pressure from member states.

We need a secretary-general who insists on the independence of the Secretariat and promotes its professionalism. The next head of the UN must choose the best people to work with rather than being swayed by the influence of the major powers.

Let us be frank and admit that pressure from member states to employ their nationals is one reason why the UN personnel system is substandard. We need an open, transparent, globally diverse recruitment process that is merit-based. This means recruiting more candidates from countries in the global south.

Another troubling weakness of the UN is a budgetary process that is outdated, inefficient and marred by disagreements among member states. The process should be streamlined and modernized by member states and the Secretariat.

2. Be our number one diplomat

Exercising the good offices of the secretary-general means using all the diplomatic tools available, even if there is only a glimmer of hope for the peaceful settlement of a dispute. Some political and military leaders in conflict zones resist UN diplomacy, even when led by the secretary-general.

Others may have a stake in a conflict and make it difficult for the UN to play a meaningful role in conflict prevention and mediation.

But you must not let that discourage you. You must follow up the 2015 recommendations to reform the UN peace and security architecture. The UN needs to advance the agenda on women, peace and security, on promoting disarmament, preventing violent extremism, and combating cybercrime and international organized crime. The whole UN system must be geared toward sustaining peace.

3. Be our chief global activist

The next UN secretary-general must hold member states accountable for their commitments. Last year member states resolved to end global poverty and hunger by adopting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

We also adopted the Paris Agreement on climate change and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on financing for development. Implementation of these agreements will not be straightforward; it will require a balanced and comprehensive approach.

Partnerships between states, development institutions, civil society, and the private sector will be necessary. When we get into difficult negotiations on implementation, you must remind us of what is at stake: the lives of millions of poor people and the very future of coming generations. Many governments will need assistance from the UN and other partners, including the World Bank, in fighting poverty and climate change.

The secretary-general must improve the UN’s ability to support governments and make “leave no one behind” a reality. Key to this is getting the many UN development organizations to act more and compete less.

4. Be the advocate for the world’s 65 million displaced people

The secretary-general must defend the rights of the displaced and lead international efforts to achieve a more integrated response to humanitarian crises.

Serious violations of international humanitarian law continue to take place on an alarming scale. These even include the destruction of hospitals. The first World Humanitarian Summit, held in May 2016 in Istanbul, agreed that humanitarian assistance alone can neither adequately address nor sustainably reduce the needs of the most vulnerable.

You — and the member states — must build bridges between humanitarian interventions and long-term development. A strengthened and more coherent approach is required to achieve durable solutions to major refugee and migratory movements, and to create predictable and equitable responsibility sharing among states.

National and local efforts should be given more support. Partnerships are indispensable.

5. Be a leader in integrating human rights into all UN activities

There are still many obstacles to the fulfillment of human rights around the world. The next secretary-general must build on the progress already made in linking human rights to the agendas of peace and development. Respect for human rights for all underpins Agenda 2030 and peace building efforts.

You must ensure that a culture of human rights permeates the whole UN system. The promotion of human rights strengthens state sovereignty rather than eroding it.

Governments must be offered the best UN expertise and technical training to enable them to implement international human rights standards.

The tasks at hand are immense. They can only be accomplished if the secretary-general and the member states pull in the same direction. It is the responsibility of the member states to make sure that the post of secretary-general is not the “most impossible job in the world”.
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Børge Brende, María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Nasser Judeh, Retno Lestari Priansari Marsudi, Claudia Ruiz Massieu and Hanna Serwaa Tetteh are respectively foreign ministers of Norway, Colombia, Ethiopia, Jordan, Indonesia, Mexico and Ghana.