Argentine President Mauricio Macri has nominated Foreign Minister Susana Malcorra as a candidate for Secretary-General of the United Nations, in a vote that may hand the top job to a woman for the first time.
The UN formally kicked off the race for the next secretary-general in December and the world body's 193 members were encouraged to consider putting forward a woman for the position.
A man has held the job since its inception 70 years ago.
Malcorra, 61, has only served in Macri's government since the centre-right businessman took office in December, unseating Peronists who dominated Argentina for 12 years with interventionist policies.
Previously, she had stints at the UN World Food Programme and served as current Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's chief-of-staff. She has also worked as chief executive at Telecom Argentina.
Under an informal tradition of rotating the top post between regions, it is Eastern Europe's turn and six of the current nominees are from there.
But some diplomats speaking privately last month said former Portugal Prime Minister Antonio Guterres and former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark were leading the pack after each nominee was quizzed for two hours by the General Assembly.
