The selection process for the next United Nations Secretary-General officially began on November 25, as the Security Council and the President of the General Assembly issued a joint letter to all 193 member states inviting nominations. The new Secretary-General will take office on January 1, 2027, succeeding current Secretary-General António Guterres.
In the joint letter, the Security Council and the General Assembly President highlighted that no woman has ever served as Secretary-General in the UN’s 80-year history, urging member states to actively consider female candidates in their nominations. The letter also stated that the selection process must ensure regional diversity and representation within the organisation’s leadership.
Three candidates have so far publicly announced their bids, including two women — former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet and former Costa Rican vice president Rebeca Grynspan — as well as Argentine diplomat and International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Grossi.
Under the procedure, the Security Council will conduct multiple rounds of “straw polls” by secret ballot, with members choosing to “encourage,” “discourage,” or express “no opinion” on each candidate. A candidate can only move forward with consensus if none of the five permanent members — the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia and China — exercises its veto.
According to the UN Charter, the Secretary-General holds administrative, diplomatic and advocacy responsibilities. The current Secretary-General oversees more than 30,000 civilian staff and approximately 60,000 peacekeeping personnel. The UN’s core budget is about US$3.7 billion, while the peacekeeping budget stands at roughly US$5.6 billion.