UN kicks off process to elect next secretary-general

The process to elect the next United Nations secretary-general formally kicked off on Tuesday as member states were asked to nominate candidates to take over the role from January 1, 2027.

In a joint letter, the 15-member Security Council and the president of the 193-member General Assembly invited nominations, marking the start of the race to replace Antonio Guterres as the world body's chief administrator.

"Noting with regret that no woman has ever held the position of Secretary-General, and convinced of the need to guarantee equal opportunities for women and men in gaining access to senior decision-making positions, member states are encourgaged to strongly consider nominating women as candidates," they wrote.

"We note the importance of regional diversity in the selection of Secretaries-General."

The 15-member Security Council will formally recommend a candidate to the 193-member General Assembly for election as the 10th U.N. secretary-general later next year.

Publicly declared candidates for the role include Chile's former President Michelle Bachelet, the former Vice President of Costa Rica Rebeca Grynspan, and Argentinian diplomat Rafael Grossi.

The job traditionally rotates among regions, but when Guterres - who is from Portugal - was elected in 2016, it was supposed to be Eastern Europe’s turn. Next on the list is Latin America; however, some diplomats expect candidates from other regions.

The Security Council will hold secret ballots – referred to as a straw poll - until a consensus is reached on a candidate. The choices council members are given for each candidate in the straw poll are: encourage, discourage or no opinion.

Ultimately, the five permanent veto-wielding council members - the United States, Russia, Britain, China and France - must agree on a candidate.

The Security Council then adopts a resolution, traditionally behind closed doors, recommending an appointment to the General Assembly. The resolution needs nine votes in favor and no vetoes to pass.

The General Assembly's approval of the appointment of a secretary-general has long been seen as a rubber stamp.

How transparent is the process?

The United Nations has been working to improve the transparency of the historically opaque selection process.

The General Assembly, in a resolution adopted in September 2025, said each candidate should provide a vision statement when they are formally nominated and be given the opportunity to present it. It said the vision statement should also be publicized on a dedicated United Nations web page.

The Assembly said each candidate should disclose their sources of funding and that any candidates who already hold a U.N. position “should consider suspending their work in the United Nations system during the campaign, with a view to avoiding any conflict of interest that may arise from their functions and adjacent advantages.”

What does the Secretary-General do?

The U.N. Charter calls the secretary-general the "chief administrative officer" of the world body. The U.N. website describes the role as "equal parts diplomat and advocate, civil servant and chief executive officer."

Guterres currently oversees more than 30,000 civilian staff and 11 peacekeeping operations with around 60,000 troops and police. The core annual United Nations budget is $3.7 billion, while the peacekeeping budget is $5.6 billion.

Since the power to authorize military force or sanctions rests with the Security Council, the U.N. chief has little more than a bully pulpit. Many diplomats say the five council veto powers prefer a "secretary" rather than a "general."

Has a woman ever been Secretary-General?

No. There is a growing push for the United Nations to choose the first female secretary-general in its 80-year history.

In the resolution adopted in September, the General Assembly noted "with regret that no woman has ever held the position of Secretary-General" and encouraged countries to "strongly consider nominating women as candidates."