The United Nations is currently in the process of selecting its tenth Secretary-General, as incumbent António Guterres is stepping down after two terms, effective December 31, 2026. Guterres, 77, plans to return to Portugal and has indicated he is not interested in an interim role. The new leader is slated to take office on January 1, 2027, and will face significant challenges, including internal reforms, funding shortfalls, climate change, AI proliferation, and escalating geopolitical tensions. Diplomats are seeking a proactive leader who will centralize the UN in global conflict resolution and implement cost-cutting measures and reforms. However, a recent survey found that while 60% trust the UN, 85% know little about the selection process.
The selection process involves informal, non-binding "straw polls" by the 15 members of the UN Security Council, who vote to "encourage," "discourage," or express "no opinion" on candidates. Leaked results from three such polls have yet to identify a clear front-runner, a situation unprecedented at this stage in previous selections. Eight initial candidates were narrowed to seven after Michelle Bachelet, 75, a former Chilean president, withdrew due to low polling numbers, receiving one encouraged vote, eleven discouraged votes, and three votes of no opinion. There are currently seven candidates in the running, four of whom are women, and a candidate from the Latin American and Caribbean region is considered a strong possibility due to an informal regional rotation.
Key candidates include Ivonne A-Baki and María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés from Ecuador, Rafael Mariano Grossi from Argentina, Rebeca Grynspan Mayufis from Costa Rica, Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett from Guyana, and Macky Sall from Senegal. Each candidate has outlined a vision focusing on areas such as peacemaking, institutional reform, development, and rebuilding the UN's credibility. The Security Council needs to agree on a single nominee, requiring nine votes in favor and no vetoes from the five permanent members (United States, France, Britain, Russia, and China). This selection could be complicated by potential trade-offs between the US and China, as well as the possibility that the Council may not settle on a candidate. The final recommendation will then be passed to the General Assembly for approval.
