The Preface to the 2015/2016 edition of the Annual Report of United Nations Affairs discusses the election of the new United Nations Secretary-General and provides summary commentaries of the 2015-2016 work of the General Assembly, the Security Council, ECOSOC, the International Court of Justice, and the United Nations Secretariat. 

According to the United Nations Charter, the Secretary-General is appointed "by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council". In the past, candidates lobbied mainly behind closed doors, and a decision emerged from inside the Security Council with limited transparency. Few rules govern the selection process of the Secretary-General. A General Assembly resolution was adopted on a modified, more transparent selection process with informal dialogues and pubic hearings to take place before the Security Council begins its selection. Moreover, the Assembly invited member states to consider presenting women as candidates. The modified selection process provided for an open search for the most qualified candidate, irrespective of region and gender. Each candidate, including the eventual winner, António Guterres, was given the opportunity to make a case in public. This article also proposes additional reforms for the selection process.