Kevin Rudd’s bid to become the next United Nations secretary general has received endorsement from former senior Australian diplomat Richard Woolcott.
Woolcott has urged cabinet to formally nominate Rudd, telling ABC’s AM “if an Australian decides to stand I think the Australian government should support that Australian”.
On Monday the foreign minister, Julie Bishop, revealed former prime minister Rudd had formally put himself forward for the role and cabinet would consider nominating him.
Woolcott said: “[Rudd] is well-respected and well-known by Xi Jinping, the Chinese head of state. I think the same would probably apply to Britain, France and the United States.”
“His problem could be Russia because of the way the relationship with Russia deteriorated when Tony Abbott was prime minister when he was talking about shirt-fronting [Vladimir] Putin.”
Woolcott served as Australian ambassador to the UN from 1982 to 1988, and president of the UN security council for Australia’s term in November 1985.
Woolcott said that candidates needed both the nomination of their country and to avoid being vetoed by any of the five permanent members of the security council, the US, the UK, Russia, China and France.
A total of 13 candidates have nominated for the role of secretary general, including the director general of Unesco, Irina Bokova; former New Zealand prime minister and UN development program administrator Helen Clark; and former UN climate change commissioner Christiana Figueres.
Woolcott told Guardian Australia that Malcolm Turnbull’s ascension to prime minister had helped Rudd, after Abbott had opposed Rudd by writing to John Key offering Australia’s support for Clark.
“Certainly there will be opposition from the right of the Liberals, including Abbott, Cory Bernardi and others, but it will be up to Turnbull to work it out and I don’t know what the majority of cabinet will decide,” he said.
Woolcott dismissed concerns about Rudd’s suitability, including from former Labor premier Kristina Keneally who said many in parliament would oppose Rudd and her labrador would be more suitable.
“I was secretary of the [foreign affairs] department when Rudd worked there, I have done special envoy work for the Rudd government in the Asia Pacific community, and I’ve never seen any ugly side to Rudd.
“There will be some opposition ... but it’s important to note the Labor party has supported him, although Keneally said that is something they should not have done,” he said.
Woolcott’s endorsement comes after strong backing from former Liberal leader Brendan Nelson, who was appointed an ambassador by Rudd, and former foreign minister Gareth Evans.
Evans told Radio National on Monday it would be a travesty if the government didn’t back Rudd, who was an outstanding performer and almost universally internationally well-regarded.
Evans agreed Russia could be an impediment to Rudd and said he may be too good, because the major powers preferred bland candidates who would not attempt an agenda that was too ambitious.
Rudd has previously talked down his chances of winning the post, noting that the job is usually decided on a rotation system and it is Eastern Europe’s turn to nominate the secretary general.
Woolcott suggested Bokova could be vetoed by the US, and Clark also be opposed due to her opposition to nuclear ships in New Zealand when she was prime minister.
Woolcott said he believed Rudd had been planning for the run “for some time”, noting he had served as president of the Asia Society Policy Institute.
