The final glass ceiling? UN Secretary General
As the nations of the world met in New York this week, New Zealand's former prime minister said there's only one glass ceiling left in the United Nations: the top job of secretary general.
Helen Clark, New Zealand's prime minister from from 1999 to 2008, made an unsuccessful bid for the secretary general's chair in 2016. She later communicated her displeasure at the way women are looked at at the highest level of the UN.
Several deputy secretary generals have been women, but no woman has ever led the 73-year-old organization — and it's not for lack of trying. In the last race for the job, which saw António Guterres succeed Ban Ki-moon, seven out of 13 candidates were women.
Clark told The House that ceiling needs to be shattered for the sake of young women.
"It sends such a signal to women and girls that no door is barred to you."
On top of gender-based reform, Clark sees work for the UN that would fall outside the purview of the secretary general.
The Security Council places the balance of power with the "victors of World War II," she said.
"That doesn't reflect today's geopolitics."
The Security Council is composed of 15 members, including five permanently held seats.
Ten additional members are elected by the General Assembly to serve two-year terms.
Clark argued that giving the seats to nations like the U.K., France and the United States disregards African nations and other contributors like Germany and Japan.
But a quick solution may not be achievable, since the Security Council itself must vote on any changes.
"This seems almost unsolvable," Clark despaired. "A turkey doesn't vote for an early Christmas."
Canada is making a bid for a seat when the vote for council rolls around in 2021.
"The entire world is watching very closely," Canada's permanent representative at the UN, Marc-André Blanchard, told CBC News. "All of these elections for the Western groups attract a lot of attention. They're always, always highly competitive, and this one will be no exception. There are two seats open and three candidates: Ireland, Norway and Canada."
The General Assembly meetings in New York City are dealing with issues like migration, climate, economic development and women's issues.