Previously, the head of the UN was usually elected by five permanent members of the Security Council - The United Kingdom, China, France, the United States and Russia - and mostly behind closed doors.
However the resolution adopted in September has partly removed the veil of secrecy, allowing candidates to send in their CVs and their vision over the task.
Press secretary at the Foreign Ministry Raimonds Jansons explained that by unwritten rules the seat of the Secretary General is awarded to regional groups. Latvia is part of the Eastern European regional group together with Russia and Visegrad Group countries, and now it is these countries' turn to lead.
"We could say that it's a unique opportunity for the country to put forward its own candidate, if there is one," said Jansons.
He said that Latvia is reviewing both its own options as well as candidates from other countries.
In 2006 the Baltics nominated respected former Latvian president Vaira Vīķe Freiberga for Secretary General.
