Discussion with US Representative to the UN on the UN Secretary General Race

In 1981 Dr. Salim ran as a candidate for the United Nations Secretary General to both succeed and challenge Kurt Waldehim, who was running for a third term. Throughout the year, Dr. Salim had to have multiple conversations and sessions with key stakeholders in order to know the country position and whether they would either support, reject or abstain from his candidacy. This is just a sample of those multiple conversations.

"Last year, during the early part of the Iranian hostage crisis, the United States - both President Carter and Secretary Vance - had felt that I as President of the Assembly could help by possibly going to Tehran to discuss the question with the Iranian authorities. But when the Secretary General was informed of this, he did everything to frustrate the proposal. Among other things he, the Secretary-General, put the suggestion to the Iranians in such a way as to ensure that the Iranians would not accept it. As it happened, the Iranians gave no response which suited the Secretary-General fine. It was obvious that he was opposed to the idea of my being involved in the undertaking. It was clear that his opposition related to 'electioneering considerations.'" - Dr. Salim, October 15, 1980