Why have United Nations secretaries-general often come from small neutral countries?

The selection of the United Nations secretary-general requires the approval of all five permanent members of the Security Council. Because this process necessitates consensus among these powerful nations, candidates from small, neutral countries are often chosen to ensure the officeholder is perceived as impartial and acceptable to all major global powers.1

This requirement for broad political acceptability is a practical necessity for the role, which serves as the chief administrative officer and the most visible spokesperson for the organization. By selecting individuals from nations that are not deeply entrenched in the geopolitical rivalries of the permanent Security Council members, the UN aims to maintain the neutrality and effectiveness of the Secretariat as an international civil service.1