The tenth Secretary-General of the United Nations will be elected this year for a five-year term beginning on January 1, 2027.
These are the candidates so far running to replace outgoing UN chief Antonio Guterres.
Rafael Grossi
Grossi, a 65-year-old Argentine career diplomat, has been a prominent director-general of the U.N. nuclear watchdog for the past six years.
While the International Atomic Energy Agency has long monitored Iran’s nuclear program, Grossi led negotiations aimed at salvaging parts of a 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and major powers after President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from it in 2018. His critics argue he has gone too far in trying to close deals with Iran.
A multilingual father of eight, Grossi has raised his profile and that of the IAEA with his roving diplomacy in international crises.
His clearest success was getting a small IAEA team stationed at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine.
Many diplomats see him as the favorite after spending years trying to hold onto the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, whose support is crucial for the top job.
Rebecca Grynspan
Grynspan, 70, describes herself as a reform-minded multilateralist who has fought against gender barriers and has been a lifelong believer in the UN and its commitment to peace, development and human rights.
Grynspan, a former vice president of Costa Rica who heads the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, said she stepped away from her duties until September to avoid conflicts of interest during the campaign.
If elected, Grynspan would be the first woman as secretary general. She said that while she had to make compromises between family life and public service at UNCTAD, being the first woman in charge there influenced her leadership.
“I’m not expecting special treatment. I want equal treatment,” he told Reuters.
Grynspan, an economist, describes herself as a “mature leader” who would lead a more agile UN through collaboration with other actors while upholding its core values.
michelle bachelet
Bachelet, 74, is a two-time president of Chile and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, who also served from 2010 to 2013 as executive director of the women’s rights agency UN Women.
Although supported by Brazil and Mexico, Chile withdrew its support for Bachelet in March after a shift to the right in the country’s leadership.
Bachelet has faced criticism from American conservatives for her pro-choice stance on abortion, and in April, Washington’s U.N. envoy, Mike Waltz, appeared to torpedo her effort by saying he shared a U.S. senator’s concerns about her appropriateness.
Republican Senator Pete Ricketts said Bachelet had not done enough as UN human rights chief.
Macky Sal
The 64-year-old geologist was president of Senegal for 12 years, until 2024.
Sall seeks to support debt-ridden developing countries and has called for a review of the Security Council as developing nations seek permanent seats in the UN’s most powerful body.
“More than ever, a reinvented multilateralism remains the best way to respond to the challenges of a world in full transformation,” he stated in X.
Sall was nominated by Burundi. If elected, he would be the third African secretary-general after Boutros Boutros-Ghali and Kofi Annan.
Maria Fernanda Espinosa
Espinosa was Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Defense of Ecuador in the government of former President Rafael Correa. She was nominated by Antigua and Barbuda.
Espinosa, 61, has also advised the UN and non-governmental organizations on biodiversity, climate change and indigenous peoples’ policies.
Her previous roles as Ecuador’s ambassador to the UN and president of the General Assembly have given her an insider’s knowledge of the global institution, she said in her vision statement.
“I offer a candidacy based on a simple conviction: the UN must regain the courage to set priorities, the discipline to deliver and the political confidence to act with purpose,” he said.
Carolyn Allison Farida Rodrigues Birkett
Rodrigues Birkett, a career diplomat and former politician, has served as Guyana’s permanent representative to the UN since 2020. She previously became the first woman and the highest-ranking indigenous person to serve as Guyana’s foreign minister.
He has held senior positions at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. If elected, Rodrigues Birkett would become the first woman and the first Caribbean citizen to lead the United Nations.
Rodrigues Birkett is committed to making the UN more effective by strengthening conflict prevention and promoting climate action.
Olara Otunnu
Otunnu, a diplomat and former UN undersecretary-general, was nominated by Uganda. At 75 years old, he is the oldest of the current candidates for the position.
In his vision statement, Otunnu highlighted the need to continue institutional reforms and said he would give immediate priority to efforts to help end major international conflicts.
He also pledged to work to establish a body to oversee the UN’s work on AI and highlighted the need for action on climate change that does not undermine economic development.
