UN LAUNCHES FORMAL PROCESS TO SELECT NEXT SECRETARY-GENERAL

Wed 26 November 2025:

The selection process for the next UN secretary-general formally began Tuesday as the presidents of the Security Council and the General Assembly issued a joint letter inviting member states to nominate candidates and outlining procedures for the months ahead.

“Noting with regret that no woman has ever held the position of Secretary-General, and convinced of the need to guarantee equal opportunities for women and men in gaining access to senior decision-making positions, Member States are encouraged to strongly consider nominating women as candidates.

“We note the importance of regional diversity in the selection of Secretaries General,” they wrote.

A successor to the current UN chief Antonio Guterres will be elected in the coming year to serve a five-year term beginning on Jan. 1, 2027.

In accordance with Article 97 of the UN Charter, the secretary-general is appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council.

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WHO WANTS TO BE THE NEXT SECRETARY-GENERAL?

There are several publicly declared candidates:

MICHELLE BACHELET – CHILE: Chile will nominate the country’s former President Michelle Bachelet, President Gabriel Boric said on September 23. Bachelet was Chile’s first female head of state and served as president of the South American nation twice. Bachelet was U.N. high commissioner for human rights between 2018-2022 and executive director of U.N. women between 2010-2013.

REBECA GRYNSPAN – COSTA RICA: Costa Rica will nominate former Vice President Rebeca Grynspan, President Rodrigo Chaves said on October 8. Grynspan, a 69-year-old politician and economist, currently serves as Secretary-General of the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

RAFAEL GROSSI – ARGENTINA: Grossi has long said he was considering campaigning to be secretary-general. When asked by Reuters on September 3, if he was definitely going to run, he said: “Yes, I am going to do that, yes.” A veteran Argentine diplomat, Grossi is director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, a role he has held since 2019.

HOW TRANSPARENT IS THE PROCESS?

The United Nations has been working to improve the transparency of the historically opaque selection process.

The General Assembly, in a resolution adopted in September 2025, said each candidate should provide a vision statement when they are formally nominated and be given the opportunity to present it. It said the vision statement should also be publicized on a dedicated United Nations web page.

The Assembly said each candidate should disclose their sources of funding and that any candidates who already hold a U.N. position “should consider suspending their work in the United Nations system during the campaign, with a view to avoiding any conflict of interest that may arise from their functions and adjacent advantages.”

WHAT DOES THE SECRETARY-GENERAL DO?

The U.N. Charter calls the secretary-general the “chief administrative officer” of the world body. The U.N. website describes the role as “equal parts diplomat and advocate, civil servant and chief executive officer.”

Guterres currently oversees more than 30,000 civilian staff and 11 peacekeeping operations with around 60,000 troops and police. The core annual United Nations budget is $3.7 billion, while the peacekeeping budget is $5.6 billion.

Since the power to authorize military force or sanctions rests with the Security Council, the U.N. chief has little more than a bully pulpit. Many diplomats say the five council veto powers prefer a “secretary” rather than a “general.”

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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