This report from the UN Joint Inspection United describes the Secretary-General’s procedure for hiring senior managers, and it touches on the non-transparent hiring process in which gender and geography is “considered”. The report recommends a better way for Member States to obtain clear information about the Secretary-General’s selection process. But UN reports use vague and conflated language, making change slow. While the JIU recommendations are important, it remains to be seen whether the General Assembly will act upon them, and whether formal rules can improve a highly political selection process dominated by the most powerful countries.