Gender, geography and powerbroking in play in race for next UN chief

By Daniel Dickinson

17 April 2026 UN Affairs

Why it matters

The major questions going into the process which is now underway are:

• Which country will the next UN chief come from?
• Will a woman be chosen to lead the Organisation for the first time?
• How will the five Permanent Members of the Security Council overcome their political differences in an increasingly fractured world?

A quick reminder about the role of Secretary-General

The Secretary-General, or SG as the role is often referred to by UN insiders, is the UN’s chief administrative officer and top diplomat and is tasked with the following: 

• Leads the UN Secretariat and global operations 
• Brings issues threatening international peace to the UN Security Council 
• Acts as a mediator, advocate and public voice on global crises 
• Implements decisions of Member States 

United Nations Seven candidates nominated as the next UN Secretary-General; Michelle Bachelet (Chile), María Fernanda Espinosa (Ecuador), Rafael Grossi (Argentina), Rebeca Grynspan (Costa Rica), Olara Otunnu (Uganda), Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett (Guyana) and Macky Sall (Senegal). When will the next Secretary-General be chosen?

The current chief António Guterres’s term ends 31 December 2026, so the next SG is expected to begin work on 1 January 2027.

The selection process is already underway: 

• Nov 2025: Member States invited to nominate candidates by 1 April 2026
• 21-22 April 2026: Candidates are questioned by UN Member States and members of civil society in televised “interactive dialogues” in the Trusteeship Council chamber
• Late July 2026: The 15-member Security Council discusses the candidates behind closed doors 
• Late 2026: The UN General Assembly formalizes the appointment 

 In practice, the decision is typically finalised between August and October.

Who are the candidates?

The field often includes diplomats, prime ministers, UN insiders and senior international figures.

So far, seven candidates have been nominated. 

• Michelle Bachelet (from Chile) 
• María Fernanda Espinosa (Ecuador)
• Rafael Grossi (Argentina) 
• Rebeca Grynspan (Costa Rica) 
• Olara Otunnu (Uganda)
• Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett (Guyana)
• Macky Sall (Senegal)

UN Photo/Loey Felipe The UN crest is pictured in the General Assembly hall.  How it works:

• Candidates must be nominated by at least one UN Member State 
• Countries can nominate one candidate each (alone or jointly) 
• Self-nomination is not allowed 
• Additional candidates can be nominated beyond the 1 April deadline.

Informal rules:

• Nationals of the five permanent members of the Security Council (China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States), known as the (P5) are not put forward. 
• There is no official regional rotation policy in terms of where the SG should come from, although some argue it is Latin America’s “turn” which may explain why five of the candidates declared so far are from that region. 

Powerbroking at the General Assembly and Security Council

The Secretary‑General is appointed by the 193‑member General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council, (as set out in Article 97 of the UN Charter). 

While the 15‑member Council, and particularly its five permanent members, who may veto any candidate, plays a decisive role in shaping the recommendation, the appointment is ultimately made by the Assembly.

To become SG, a candidate must: 

• Gain majority support in the Security Council
• Avoid a veto from any of the P5 

UN Photo Trygve Lie of Norway was the first UN Secretary-General.

Informal straw polls are conducted amongst the members of the Council which indicate whether they encourage, discourage or have no specific opinion about a candidate.

These straw polls continue until there is a majority candidate without a single veto from a P5 member.

Is it likely a woman will be elected?

The pressure is growing, but there are no guarantees.

• In 80 years since the founding of the UN, there have been nine Secretaries-General, but a woman has never held the post 
• Member States are encouraged to nominate women 
• But gender is not a formal selection criterion 

Security Council politics.

The final decision still hinges largely on whether the P5 can come to a consensus. The disagreement of the P5 and gridlock in the Security Council over recent crises in Gaza, Ukraine and now Iran has demonstrated how difficult the task ahead could be.

The tenth Secretary-General will follow in the steps of: 

• António Guterres (Portugal), who took office in January 2017; 
• Ban Ki-moon (Republic of Korea), 2007 to 2016; 
• Kofi Annan (Ghana), 1997 to 2006; 
• Boutros Boutros-Ghali (Egypt), 1992 to 1996; 
• Javier Pérez de Cuéllar (Peru), 1982 to1991; 
• Kurt Waldheim (Austria), 1972 to 1981; 
• U Thant (Burma, now Myanmar), 1961 to 1971; 
• Dag Hammarskjöld (Sweden), 1953 to1961; 
• Trygve Lie (Norway), 1946 to 1952. 

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This news story was updated on 17 June 2026.

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