1.  Answer the following questions:

a) How many Secretaries-General of the U.N. have there been? Make a list of their names, county and years served. (For a list of previous U.N. Secretaries-General, go to the U.N.website and scroll down to the bottom of the page.)

b) How many member states are there in the U.N.? (answer can be found at www.un.org)

c) How many of those countries are members of the U.N. Security Council?

d) How many permanent members are there in the in the Security Council? Name those countries (found in para. 16)

e) How many Security Council votes must the winning candidate for Secretary General secure?

2.  Why do you think that America and England reject the regional rotation system  traditionally used to appoint the Secretary General?

3.  Why do you think that a candidate for Secretary General can be vetoed by any of the permanent Security Council members?

4.  List the names/countries of people who have been mentioned thus far as possible candidates for Secretary General.

5.  Why is it believed that most front-runners for Secretary General don't make it?

6.  What quality did most of the previous Secretaries-General possess that helped to get them elected?
 
7.  Read the first two paragraphs in the U.N.'s "Role of the Secretary General" here.  What qualities do you think are most important for a Secretary General to possess?

Optional:
8.  List and define the three idioms used in this article.