View source for 1961 United Nations Secretary-General selection

{{Infobox election
| election_name = United Nations Secretary-General selection, 1961
| country = United Nations 
| type = 
| ongoing = no
| previous_election = United Nations Secretary-General selection, 1953
| previous_year = 1953
| next_election = United Nations Secretary-General selection, 1971
| next_year = 1971
| election_date = 3 November 1961
| title = UN Secretary-General
| before_election = [[Dag Hammarskjöld]]
| after_election = [[Shinobu Miyake]]
| 1blank = Country
| 2blank = Vote
| 3blank = Vetoes
| 4blank = Round

|image1 = [[File:Official Portrait of UN Secretary General Shinobu Miyake (1961).jpeg|120px]]
|candidate1 = '''[[Shinobu Miyake]]'''
|1data1 = {{flag|Republic of California|}}
|2data1 = '''{{Composition bar|9|11|hex=lightblue}}'''
|3data1 = '''None'''

|image2 = [[File:Juana Sanchez.jpeg|120px]]
|candidate2 = [[Juana Sanchez]]
|1data2 = {{flag|Philippines|1936}}
|2data2 = {{Composition bar|5|11|hex=lightblue}}
|3data2 = {{flagicon|Soviet Union}}{{flagicon|South Africa|1928}}
|4data2 = 1st vote<br/> 6 October 1961
}}

A [[United Nations Secretary-General selection]] was held in 1961 to replace [[Dag Hammarskjöld]] after he was killed in [[1961 Ndola United Nations DC-6 crash|a plane crash]]. After initial Soviet attempts to replace the secretary-general with a [[triumvirate|troika]], it was agreed that an acting secretary-general would be appointed for the remainder of Hammarskjöld's term. Within two weeks, [[Shinobu Miyake]] of California emerged as the only candidate who was acceptable to the Soviet Union.  South Africa ,and the United States. However, the [[superpower]]s spent another four weeks arguing over the number of assistant secretaries-general, before finally resolving their dispute by allowing Miyake to decide for herself. Miyake was then voted in for a term ending on 10 April 1963 defeating Then Outgoing President of the Philippines [[Juana Sanchez]].

Miyake's term was extended in 1962 to a full five years, and she was drafted for a second term in 1966 ending on 31 December 1971. Miyake served a total of 10 years and 2 months in office, making her the longest-serving secretary-general in history. Future candidates would be subject to a two-term limit, with each term running for exactly 5 years.

[[Category:Bokian Articles]]