Alternate Secretary Generals

This is something that I have rarely, if ever, seen come up in latter 20th century TLs. Who would be likely alternate candidates for UN Secretary General?

Two people I've found while browsing Wikipedia is Carlos Romulo of the Philippines and Lester Pearson of Canada.

An interesting aspect to this would also be if the restriction that the Secretary General cannot come from the five permanent Security Council members. Then you could have people like Henry Kissinger or Vyacheslav Molotov as potential candidates.
 
Interesting idea.

Maybe Andrey Gromyko for the USSR, Jack F Matlock for the US.

There is absolutely no chance anyone from either the USSR or the USA is going to become secretary general. Zilch.

Sergio de Mello springs to mind, had he lived.
 

Thande

Donor
There is absolutely no way anyone from either the USSR or the USA is going to become secretary general. Zilch.

Agreed.

And to be tremendously nitpicky re the title, the plural is "Secretaries-General".
 
Okay, no one from the five Security council members. Hmmm, other candidates. Maybe someone from Italy or Germany, not sure who though.
 
Martti Ahtisaari and Javier Solano spring to mind as the most likely contemporary European candidates.

I really want to say David Owen just for the awesomness of the thing but he'd never be considered.

Okay, no one from the five Security council members. Hmmm, other candidates. Maybe someone from Italy or Germany, not sure who though.

Italy or Germany are even themselves too 'front line', certainly during the cold war. During the cold war, you are essentially limited to third world/non-alligned/neutral country candidates. Which essentially means non-European (with a few exceptions such as Austria, the Nordic countries, Switzerland and maybe Ireland at a stretch) and certainly non-North American.
 
I just had an absolutely brilliant semi-dystopian candidate come to mind, but it's so good I might save it for a future timeline if you don't mind.
 

Thande

Donor
I just had an absolutely brilliant semi-dystopian candidate come to mind, but it's so good I might save it for a future timeline if you don't mind.

No offence, but based on your past track record when it comes to updating TLs, I hope you don't mind if I suggest you just tell us :p
 
I won't tell you, but how about relaxing with a nice touch of AH insanity: Hitler stays in Austria and somehow becomes Secretary-General of an alternatively-formed UN.
 
There are a lot of good suggestions here. I'd forgotten about Ahtisaari. I guess it is ASB to have an American or Soviet as Secretary General during the Cold War, but what about British, French, or Chinese?

EDIT: How about Alfonso Garcia Robles?
 
Mary Robinson, ex Irish President and UN human Rights commisioner, the latter from 1997. Her support for the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan caused ruined her chances with the Chinese!
 
I always thought we should send Bill Clinton to the UN. He's good at talking his way out of sticky situations, and he's a fair negotiator. I could see him becoming Sec-Gen of the UN.
 
Brian Mulroney revealed in his memoirs that in 1991 Bush was prepared to get the votes to install him if he so desired, but due to domestic poltiical issues he declined. Those issues can be resolved with easy PODs, so he can retire in late 1991 as per his OTL plan and take the job.
 
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