UN Secretary-General Race Enters Key Stage as Candidates Vie to Succeed Guterres

The race to become the next United Nations secretary-general has entered a crucial phase, with eight candidates seeking to replace Antonio Guterres when his second term ends later this year.

The next secretary-general will serve a five-year term beginning on January 1, 2027. A second informal poll held on Friday placed Guyana’s Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett narrowly ahead, according to people familiar with the selection process.

The candidates come from different regions and backgrounds, with diplomats, former presidents and senior UN officials among those seeking the position.

Argentina’s Rafael Grossi, 65, is director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency and is regarded by many diplomats as a leading contender. He has played a prominent role in nuclear diplomacy involving Iran and Ukraine. His efforts to maintain an IAEA presence at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant have raised his international profile, although Russia has expressed reservations about his campaign.

Rebeca Grynspan, 70, heads the UN Conference on Trade and Development and previously served as vice president of Costa Rica. She has presented herself as a reform-minded candidate and would become the first woman to serve as secretary-general if elected.

Michelle Bachelet, 74, brings extensive political and international experience. The former Chilean president twice served as her country’s leader and later became UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. She also headed UN Women. Her campaign has faced opposition from some US conservatives over her positions on human rights and abortion.

Former Senegalese President Macky Sall, 64, is campaigning on issues including developing-country debt and reform of the UN Security Council. He has called for stronger representation for developing nations.

Maria Fernanda Espinosa, 61, a former Ecuadorian foreign and defence minister, was nominated by Antigua and Barbuda. She has previously served as Ecuador’s ambassador to the UN and president of the General Assembly.

Rodrigues Birkett, Guyana’s permanent representative to the UN since 2020, has emerged as a significant contender. She was Guyana’s first woman foreign minister and the country’s highest-ranking Indigenous official. Her election would make her the first woman and first Caribbean national to lead the UN.

Uganda’s nominee Olara Otunnu, 75, a former UN under-secretary-general, has called for the organisation to restore its moral authority and improve its response to major conflicts. He has also proposed stronger international oversight of artificial intelligence.

Ivonne Baki, 75, an Ecuadorian diplomat nominated by Tonga, has focused her campaign on conflict prevention. Drawing on her experience during Lebanon’s civil war, she has promised to engage directly in areas facing tensions.

The selection process will depend heavily on support from UN member states and, ultimately, the five permanent members of the Security Council. The candidates now face months of diplomatic negotiations before the final choice is made.