Eight candidates compete to succeed António Guterres as UN Secretary-General, with four Latin Americans leading the race. P5 nations must decide whether they prefer an active "general" or a cautious "secretary" amid rising geopolitical tensions.
Four UN Secretary-General candidates, including Argentine diplomat Rafael Grossi and former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet, expressed deep concerns during interviews about the organization's effectiveness amid geopolitical crises, ineffective governance, and declining global trust.
Costa Rican economist Rebeca Grynspan, a leading UN secretary general candidate, urged the organization to embrace calculated risks and moral leadership rather than bureaucratic caution, amid funding shortfalls and declining faith in its peacekeeping effectiveness.
Four candidates vowed Wednesday to reform the troubled United Nations and restore its diminished global influence through cost-cutting and improved coordination, seeking to succeed Secretary-General Antonio Guterres next year.
Former Senegalese President Macky Sall, running for UN Secretary-General on Burundi's nomination despite African Union rejection by approximately 20 countries including Senegal, pledged to prioritize coordination with regional blocs and address African debt concerns while maintaining member state sovereignty.