Two women and two men remain in the running for the position of UN secretary general and will be heard from Tuesday, April 21, by member states. It will be the beginning of a process that could be historic if the elected leadership is female.
In line with a tradition of geographic rotation not always observed, the position of UN secretary general for the 2027–2031 term is being claimed by Latin America. In addition, many countries also advocate that a woman hold the position for the first time in the UN’s 80-year history.
However, they are the members of the UN Security Council, who must start the selection process by the end of July, who really have the decision in their hands. Here are some essential points about each of the candidates who will contest the election for 10th UN Secretary-General:
Michelle Bachelet
Former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet entered the race for UN leadership through the joint nomination of Chile, Mexico and Brazil. However, her home country withdrew its support following the election of José Antonio Kast’s far-right government.
Bachelet is the most politically prominent of the four candidates currently in competition, having presided over Chile from 2006 to 2010 and from 2014 to 2018, in addition to being the first woman in Chile and in all of Latin America to hold the position of Minister of Defense. She was also the first director of UN Women and also held the position of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Despite being a woman and being from Latin America – two factors that could weigh in her favor – Bachelet will face two strong opponents in the Security Council, both with veto power.
One of them is China, which vehemently protested against an independent Chilean report on human rights violations against the Uyghur minority, presented in 2022 upon its departure from the position of High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The second powerful adversary is the United States, which has already denounced Chile’s criticism of Israel and Washington. Added to all this, the former president’s pro-abortion stance has attracted harsh criticism from the most conservative Republicans in the United States.
Michelle Bachelet has a degree in Medicine with specialization in Surgery, Pediatrics and Public Health. He also studied military strategy at the National Academy of Strategy and Politics in Chile and at the Inter-American Defense College in the United States.
Rafael Mariano Grossi
Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Mariano Grossi is an Argentine diplomat with 40 years of experience in diverse areas, including peace and security, non-proliferation and disarmament, and international development. He reached the race to succeed António Guterres through the nomination of Argentina.
“Rafael Mariano Grossi is one of the most respected Argentine diplomats, whose work as director general of the IAEA has earned him worldwide admiration”, argued the Argentine Government. “His in-depth knowledge of the multilateral system, ability to foster diplomatic dialogue, his proven track record in conflict situations and major international crises as an impartial and effective interlocutor, his technical and linguistic competence and his commitment to the UN Charter make him an exceptional candidate to fulfill the responsibilities that the world demands of the Secretary-General today”, added Buenos Aires.
Grossi has a degree in Political Science, a master’s degree in International Relations and a PhD in History and International Politics. With a campaign based on “effective results”, he is currently the favorite among those looking for a more technical leader specializing in nuclear weapons programs.
Last October, at a press conference in New York, Grossi considered that his personal experience mediating conflicts and his role as a regular interlocutor between belligerent powers could contribute to his election.
Grossi refused to resign from his role at the IAEA while running for UN leadership, contravening a General Assembly resolution that asked UN officials to “consider” suspending duties during the campaign to avoid conflicts of interest.
Rebecca Grynspan
Costa Rican Rebeca Grynspan suspended her leadership of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) when she became a candidate to succeed Guterres. Economist, former vice president of Costa Rica – the country that officially appointed her – and the first woman to lead UNCTAD in its 60-year history, Grynspan is an experienced leader in international institutions.
With a solid track record in government, UN diplomacy, economic policy and multilateral cooperation at a global level, she received the Doha Negotiator of the Year Award in 2024 for leading UN efforts to restore Black Sea trade routes in the face of the war started by Russia in Ukraine.
In her vision statement for the UN, the Costa Rican stated that trust in the United Nations was declining and that courage was needed to change it and restore belief in the organization’s ability to promote peace and development.
Macky Sall
In early March, former Senegalese president Macky Sall entered the race for secretary general following a nomination from Burundi, making him potentially the most controversial candidate in the competition. The candidacy was not presented by Senegal, as Macky Sall is accused by his country’s new leaders of having hidden important economic data, such as public debt.
The African Union (AU) refused to support Sall’s candidacy, after it was rejected by 20 of the organization’s 55 member states. Sall, 64, who governed Senegal from 2012 to 2024, is seen by his supporters as a candidate capable of leading multilateral negotiations on behalf of the continent, but his detractors criticize his regime for its harsh repression of opposition protests.
The lack of consensual support in Africa could weaken the continent’s influence in the UN selection process, where regional support is important. In his vision statement for the role, Sall stated that the UN needed to be reformed, simplified and modernized.
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