UN secretary-general: 2 women among four candidates for top UN post

The campaign to elect the next Secretary‑General of the United Nations has entered a critical phase with four candidates preparing to present their visions in interactive dialogues later this month amid an unprecedented push to elect the organisation’s first female leader in its 80‑year history.

The official selection process began with a joint letter from the presidents of the UN General Assembly and the UN Security Council in November 2025 , calling for member states to submit nominees and strongly consider women candidates . A candidate must be nominated by at least one UN member state to participate in the race. The interactive dialogues are scheduled for April 21 and 22 at UN Headquarters in New York, where each nominee will have a three‑hour session to outline their priorities and answer questions from member states.

The successor to Antonio Guterres , who will complete his second five‑year term in December 2026 and leave office on January 1, 2027 , will serve a five‑year term as Secretary‑General.

Four candidates now remain in the contest following the withdrawal of some earlier aspirants: former Chilean President and United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet , economist and former Costa Rican vice‑president Rebeca Grynspan , International Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Grossi , and former Senegalese President Macky Sall . Bachelet was originally backed by multiple governments, though her home government later withdrew formal support, underscoring the political complexities of the race.

The regional rotation tradition that has often guided Secretary‑General selection — suggesting Latin America might be favoured this cycle — and considerations of gender balance are shaping how member states and blocs weigh their support.

In the background, the UN Security Council’s veto power held by its five permanent members — China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States — looms large: any recommended candidate must secure consensus among these powerful states before the UN General Assembly can formally appoint them. Analysts note that geopolitical alignments and Security Council politics could be decisive in narrowing the field.

One unique feature of the current race is that some candidates are maintaining their current institutional roles while campaigning. For example, Grossi has chosen to remain director‑general of the IAEA during the contest, even as member states encourage nominees who hold positions within the UN system to consider stepping aside to avoid conflicts of interest.

The race has drawn global attention from civil society and rights groups, including campaigns like Woman SG and 1 for 8 Billion , which argue that electing a female leader committed to gender equality, human rights and multilateralism would strengthen the UN’s credibility and effectiveness at a pivotal time for global governance.