Who will be next UN chief? Meet 7 candidates in race to replace Guterres; how secretary-general is chosen | Explained

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres is set to step down at the end of his second five-year term on December 31 this year, bringing nearly a decade at the helm of the world body to a close. His successor will become the UN’s 10th secretary-general and is scheduled to begin a five-year term on January 1, 2027.

The race has entered a crucial phase, with seven candidates currently seeking to succeed Guterres after former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet withdrew from the contest on September 20. The candidates are from Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guyana, Senegal and Uganda. The UN Security Council has already conducted three informal straw polls, with further discussions and voting expected before the Council formally recommends a candidate to the 193-member General Assembly.

Two candidates have withdrawn from the race. Argentine diplomat Virginia Gamba, who was nominated by the Maldives, exited the contest in March after the country withdrew her nomination. Former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet, who was also a former UN human rights chief, withdrew in September after her support weakened in the Security Council’s informal straw poll.

Who are the candidates?

Rebeca Grynspan — Costa Rica

Rebeca Grynspan, a former vice president of Costa Rica, currently heads UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD). An economist, she has built her campaign around strengthening multilateral cooperation, restoring confidence in the UN and addressing challenges related to peace, development and global governance.

Grynspan received nine “encourage” votes in the Security Council’s third informal straw poll on September 18, alongside five “discourage” votes and one “no opinion”. The ballot was secret and does not establish a final outcome.

Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett — Guyana

Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett, Guyana’s permanent representative to the UN since 2020, is a career diplomat and former foreign minister. She has also held senior positions in the Guyanese government and worked with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation.

Her campaign has focused on strengthening conflict prevention, human rights and climate action. She received eight “encourage” votes in the September 18 straw poll.

Rafael Mariano Grossi — Argentina

Rafael Grossi has served as director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) since 2019. The Argentine diplomat has been involved in international negotiations and nuclear diplomacy, including efforts involving Iran and the war in Ukraine.

His campaign emphasises making the UN more effective and results-oriented, drawing on his experience leading the IAEA through international crises.

María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés — Ecuador

María Fernanda Espinosa is a former foreign and defence minister of Ecuador and previously served as president of the UN General Assembly. She has also represented Ecuador at the UN and worked on issues including climate change, biodiversity and Indigenous peoples.

Her campaign has focused on peace and security, development, institutional reform and rebuilding confidence in the UN.

Macky Sall — Senegal

Macky Sall served as Senegal’s president for 12 years until 2024. A geologist by training, Sall has highlighted issues affecting developing countries, including debt and representation in global institutions.

He has also called for reforms to the UN Security Council and has argued for a renewed approach to multilateral cooperation.

Olara Otunnu — Uganda

Olara Otunnu is a veteran Ugandan diplomat who previously served as a UN under-secretary-general and special representative for children and armed conflict. At 75, he is the oldest candidate currently in the race.

Otunnu has called for restoring what he describes as the UN’s moral authority, while also emphasising institutional reform, conflict resolution, climate policy and international cooperation on artificial intelligence.

Ivonne A-Baki — Ecuador

Ivonne A-Baki is an Ecuadorian diplomat and former ambassador to several countries, including the United States, France and Qatar. She was nominated by Tonga in August, making her the latest candidate to enter the contest.

Her campaign has focused heavily on conflict prevention and diplomacy, with A-Baki arguing that the UN needs a stronger role in preventing wars and resolving disputes.

How is the UN secretary-general elected?

The selection process is different from a conventional election. Under Article 97 of the UN Charter, the Security Council recommends a candidate and the General Assembly formally appoints the secretary-general.

The current process formally began on November 25, 2025, when the presidents of the General Assembly and Security Council issued a joint letter inviting member states to submit nominations. Candidates are nominated by member states or groups of states and are required to provide a vision statement, curriculum vitae and campaign financing disclosures.

The General Assembly has also introduced a more transparent process involving public, webcast interactive dialogues with candidates. The candidates participated in these sessions during April, June and August 2026, while a UN town hall was held in July.

The Security Council then assesses the candidates through informal, secret “straw polls”. In these ballots, the 15 Council members indicate whether they “encourage”, “discourage” or have “no opinion” on each candidate. The polls are non-binding but help reveal the level of support for each contender.

The five permanent members — China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States — hold veto power. Ultimately, the Security Council must agree on a candidate and formally recommend that person to the General Assembly. A Security Council recommendation requires at least nine votes in favour and no veto from any of the five permanent members.

The General Assembly, which has 193 members, then formally appoints the secretary-general. The Assembly has historically approved the Security Council’s nominee rather than selecting a different candidate.

The final selection is expected before Guterres completes his term on December 31, allowing the new secretary-general to take office on January 1, 2027.

About the Author

Garvit Bhirani is a journalist based in Gurugram. He is a Deputy Chief Content Producer at LiveMint, where he covers national and international news stories, focusing on accuracy and compelling storytelling for readers. <br><br> With a total of six years of experience in journalism, he has previously worked with Vaco Binary Semantics for Google, taking on the role of news curation lead, and reported from the field on health, education, and agriculture stories for 101reporters and News9. He has also served as a content editor for entertainment and news media organisations. <br><br> Garvit holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism and mass communication from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University and Gurugram University, respectively. During college days, he joined India’s only non-profit student journalism network, where he anchored daily news updates and produced his own weekly show called ‘Data Fix’. <br><br> He was selected for the YES Foundation Media for Social Change Fellowship in Delhi, the Talking Data to the Fourth Pillar residential workshop, and the VOICE Fellowship in Pune. <br><br> He holds certificates in COVID-19-verification reporting, data journalism, food & agriculture, tech policy, media literacy and countering misinformation, and tackling election disinformation courses from Thomson Foundation, IndiaSpend, The Dialogue, US Mission in India, and AFP. <br><br> He can be reached on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/garvit-bhirani">LinkedIn</a> or on <a href="https://x.com/GarvitBhirani">@garvitbhirani</a> on X

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