Nearly a quarter of UN states want female secretary-general

United Nations

Almost  a quarter of UN member states want the next secretary-general, for the first time, to be a woman.

 It's the latest sign of momentum for the idea as campaigning to succeed Ban Ki-moon at the end of 2016 begins in earliest.

 The issue kicked off earlier this year with two separate campaigns to promote a female secretary-general, including one by the international women's rights group Equality Now, amid concerns that few women hold top-level U.N. positions.

According to an official document of UN, in the 70 years of it’s existence, "a female candidate has never been openly considered." Forty-two member countries signed on to declare that "the time has come for a woman to hold the highest position."

 The new Group of Friends in Favor of a Woman for Secretary-General of the United Nations includes , Japan and Germany, two of the largest contributors to the U.N. budget.

 "Colombia decided to take a stand for women candidates," that country's ambassador, Maria Emma Mejia, reportedly wrote in a note to a news agency.

 States wanted a more open system resembling a professional job search, with posted qualifications and interviews, instead of the Security Council essentially handing over its choice to the 193-country General Assembly to approve.

 When Britain expressed interest in having a woman succeed Ban Ki-moon, Russia said that gender shouldn't be the top consideration.

 "The United Nations, following its duty of observance of human rights, has the responsibility to lead by example, and to ensure the equal and active participation of women at all levels of decision-making. This includes, of course, the secretary-general," the group of friends' concept note says.

 Ban has not yet made a statement on this issue, but a spokesman has pointed out that he had expressed several times that it's "high time" for a female secretary-general.