President Macky Sall continued his diplomatic consultations on 20 July with talks in Moscow with the Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation, Sergey Lavrov. After the meeting, the candidate for United Nations Secretary-General expressed his gratitude to his host for the quality of the exchanges.
The discussions covered several matters of common interest, foremost among them the challenges facing the United Nations in a rapidly changing international environment. According to President Macky Sall, the meeting addressed the issues of multilateralism as well as the reforms and actions needed for the Organization to respond more effectively to the challenges of the present and the future. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to the central coordinating role of the United Nations in world affairs.
The stop completes a cycle. Over a few weeks, the candidate has engaged with the representatives of all five permanent members of the Security Council: China, the United States and France, whose Permanent Representatives he met in New York on 6 July, and now Russia. None of these five states is an ally more than another: President Macky Sall's method is to speak to every member of the Council, permanent and elected alike, without exclusivity or alignment. That is the condition of a candidacy that means to serve every member state.
This requirement lies at the heart of his vision. The next Secretary-General will have to engage the one hundred and ninety-three states of the United Nations, in all their diversity. Listening to each without espousing any is the first of the skills expected of a facilitator and bridge-builder.
The calendar, meanwhile, is entering its decisive phase. The Security Council's first straw polls are expected in the last week of July; on the 23rd, President Macky Sall will present his vision to all member states. From New York to Moscow, his approach remains the same: Africa at heart, the world in sight.
The full vision statement is available at www.mackysall.net.