Jewish leaders are also calling on the next secretary-general to adopt the IHRA working definition of antisemitism as part of the UN’s framework for identifying and addressing antisemitism.By Ailin Vilches Arguello, The AlgemeinerJewish leaders worldwide are urging UN member states to choose a secretary-general who will place the fight against antisemitism at the heart of their tenure, arguing that the upcoming leadership vote offers a chance to confront the UN’s years-long record of antisemitic conduct and anti-Israel bias while restoring the agency’s moral standing.In a joint letter on Monday, the J7 Large Communities Task Force Against Antisemitism—an international coalition representing the seven largest Jewish diaspora communities—called on world leaders to make combating antisemitism a central consideration in the upcoming election of the next UN secretary-general as they gather this week for the high-level General Assembly.Although the letter does not endorse or name a particular candidate, the task force—representing Jewish communities in Argentina, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States—stressed the need for the upcoming election to bring institutional change, warning that “within the very system charged with defending human rights, antisemitism has been normalized and even given platforms.”The UN is preparing for a leadership change as António Guterres’s second and final term as secretary-general ends in December, with member states set to elect his successor in the coming months, closing a tenure that has faced years of criticism from Jewish and Israeli officials over anti-Israel bias and the UN’s handling of antisemitism.Since the start of the war in Gaza, Israel’s relationship with Guterres has spiraled downward, reaching a low point last year when then-Foreign Minister Israel Katz labeled the UN “antisemitic and anti-Israeli” and declared Guterres persona non grata after the top UN official failed to condemn Iran for its ballistic missile attack against the Jewish state.Now, as the leadership election approaches, the J7 task force is pressing for a sweeping institutional reset, urging member states to elect a secretary-general who can restore the UN’s integrity, overhaul the system with accountability at its core, and ensure its resources are never used to legitimize or fuel hate.“The United Nations was founded on the promise of equal dignity, human rights, and the protection of all peoples. Antisemitism—expressed through the conduct of mandate holders, in materials produced under the UN’s emblem, and in a culture permitted to take hold in parts of the human rights system—is, however, among its serious failures,” the letter reads.“It damages the institution’s credibility and undermines its standing to lead on human rights globally.”Among their recommendations, Jewish leaders are also calling on the next secretary-general to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism as part of the UN’s framework for identifying and addressing antisemitism.An intergovernmental organization comprising dozens of countries, including the United States and Israel, IHRA adopted the “working definition” of antisemitism in 2016.Since its adoption, the definition has gained widespread support from Jewish organizations and lawmakers around the world and is now used by hundreds of governmental bodies, including the European Union and the United Nations.Beyond traditional antisemitic acts associated with the medieval period and Nazi Germany, the definition provides contemporary examples of antisemitism found in public life, media, education, workplaces, and religious settings—including Holocaust denial and modern forms targeting Israel, such as demonizing the Jewish state and denying its right to exist.Jewish leaders further urged the next secretary-general to appoint a fully resourced Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, tasked with addressing antisemitism across the UN system and serving as a dedicated advocate for Jewish communities around the world.“We believe that with the right leadership and political will, this moment is a real opportunity. It is a chance to elect a Secretary-General who will make the fight against antisemitism a defining feature of their tenure and to begin the work of restoring the integrity this institution was always meant to embody,” the letter reads.To be elected, a nominee must first secure the support of at least nine members of the UN Security Council and avoid a veto from any of its five permanent members—the United States, China, Russia, the United Kingdom, and France.Afterward, the UN General Assembly votes, with a simple majority needed to confirm the organization’s next leader.The 193-member General Assembly will make the final appointment following a recommendation from the Security Council, with the decision expected to come between October and December.To date, seven candidates have been formally nominated, bringing diverse political, diplomatic, and international experience to the selection process.They include Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary-General of UN Trade and Development and former Vice President of Costa Rica; Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett, Permanent Representative of Guyana to the UN; Ivonne A-Baki, an Ecuadorean diplomat; María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, former President of the UN General Assembly and former Foreign Minister of Ecuador; Rafael Grossi of Argentina, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency; Olara Otunnu of Uganda, former UN Under-Secretary-General; and Macky Sall, former President of Senegal.Given the UN’s informal system of regional rotation, under which the Secretary-General position generally rotates among the world’s regional groups, particular attention is being focused on candidates from the Latin American and Caribbean Group.The post Jewish leaders worldwide call for UN reset as secretary-general race puts antisemitism in focus appeared first on World Israel News.