Proposal to Merkel for a consultative role at the UN

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has proposed to former German Chancellor Angela Merkel that she take on an advisory role in the organization, according to sources quoted by the German news agency.

Mr Guterres has called on Mr Merkel to take over the presidency of an advisory body headed by former heads of state or government, the sources said.

The council aims to “identify global public goods and other areas of common interest” where “improvements in governance are needed” and “propose options for how they can be achieved”.

For example, the ozone zone is a global public good. The term may also apply to international flight safety or trade regulations.

According to dpa sources, Mr Guterres made the proposal to Mrs Merkel directly. However, according to their assessment, the chances of the former chancellor accepting to take on this role are rather low. The 67-year-old former head of the German government has not yet given her answer to the head of the UN.

Angela Merkel decided not to run with the Conservative Christian Union (CDU / CSU) in the September elections and withdrew from the German political arena at the end of 2021, after 16 years in the chancellery.

The advisory body set up at Mr Guterres’s suggestion is one of his most important initiatives to reform the UN during his second term, which began in January.

According to the Portuguese, the pandemic of the new coronavirus revealed that there are huge gaps in international cooperation.

The council that seeks to be formed hopes to give impetus to the effort to change practices and principles for joint action on a global scale.

Source: AMPE