Four candidates seeking to lead the United Nations underwent intensive questioning this past week on their plans to restore global peace, combat escalating poverty, and defend human rights, as the world body struggles with conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, and other hot spots where institutional paralysis has allowed suffering to deepen.
U.N. General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock described the selection process as one of the toughest job interviews in the world, emphasizing that the secretary-general represents all 8 billion people on Earth while defending the U.N. Charter and leading on peace, development, and human rights. The candidates—Chile's Michelle Bachelet, Argentina's Rafael Grossi, Costa Rica's Rebeca Grynspan, and Senegal's Macky Sall—pledged to focus on the U.N.'s founding mission of ensuring international peace and security, a mandate the institution has failed to fulfill in Iran, Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, and other global hot spots because of wide divisions.
Candidates Emphasize Human Rights and Field Presence
Bachelet, 74, a two-time president of Chile and former U.N. human rights chief, told ambassadors the U.N. must try to avoid crises and that she has the right leadership skills. "I stand before you to reclaim the urgent need for dialogue," she said, stressing that the U.N. must anticipate, prevent, and unite. She said the next secretary-general also needs to be "physically present in the field" to help tackle problems.
Grossi, 65, a former Argentine diplomat who has been director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency since 2019—now in his seventh year—said that with the world so polarized, "there are enormous, huge doubts about our institution" in solving global problems. Unless the U.N. has effective leadership and support from all countries, it won't regain a key place at the table, he said, "so we have to concentrate on that." He also said the next U.N. chief must visit global hot spots.
Grynspan, 65, a former Costa Rican vice president who has been secretary-general of the U.N. trade and development agency since 2021—now in her fifth year—said she knows how to stand up for principles while under pressure. As secretary-general, she said she would "continue to be the moral voice and the impartial voice that the secretary-general has to be." She warned that the U.N. has become "a risk-conservative organization." "We need to take more risks—and I am ready to fail and try again," she said.
Regional Rotation and Accountability Questions
By tradition, the job of secretary-general rotates by region, and this year it is Latin America's turn. Sall, 64, who was president of Senegal for 12 years, is the only candidate from outside the region. He said the U.N. Charter doesn't bar any candidates and noted that after a leader from the global north—António Guterres is Portuguese—the next U.N. chief should be from the global south. If chosen, he said he would be "a bridge-builder" and that his first priority would be "to contribute to restoring trust, to calm tensions, reduce fragmentation and breathe renewed hope into our collective action." Sall was also the only candidate to spark demonstrations outside U.N. headquarters, both for and against his quest to be secretary-general. Sall has been accused of corruption, which he denies.
Gender Equality and Women's Rights Under Scrutiny
Bachelet, a medical doctor, responded to a letter from 28 Republican U.S. lawmakers calling her a "pro-abortion zealot" and asking Secretary of State Marco Rubio to veto her, saying the issue is controversial and that she respects every country's right to decide. She called herself a strong believer in women's rights to decide on their own lives and how many children to have. As secretary-general, she said she would do whatever is necessary to advance agreements by U.N. member nations, including on promoting gender equality.
Susana Malcorra, a former Argentine foreign minister and senior U.N. official who was a candidate for secretary-general in 2016, said the United Nations "more than ever" needs new leadership and energy. The global advocacy group she leads, GWL Voices, has been campaigning for the next U.N. chief to be a woman.
Expert Analysis and Selection Process
Daniel Forti, the International Crisis Group's head of U.N. affairs, said the four candidates "tried to walk a political tightrope." He said, "It is not immediately obvious whether any candidate did enough to propel themselves ahead of the others, or to ward off potential challengers who might emerge later." Other candidates could wait until after the initial auditions to jump into the race to succeed Guterres on Jan. 1.
Minh-Thu Pham, an adviser to former U.N. chief Kofi Annan and CEO of the Starling Institute think tank, said there is a widespread desire for a secretary-general who is willing to take risks and be more active in promoting peace. She said the U.N. isn't part of the conversation on major crises "because it hasn't had the courage to take risks."
The selection will be left to the 15-nation U.N. Security Council, especially its five veto-wielding members—the United States, Russia, China, United Kingdom, and France—that remain tight-lipped. The 193-member General Assembly must give final approval.
Why This Matters:
The choice of the next U.N. secretary-general comes as the institution faces profound questions about its ability to protect vulnerable populations and uphold international law amid escalating conflicts and poverty. The candidates' emphasis on field presence, risk-taking, and moral leadership reflects growing recognition that bureaucratic caution has left the U.N. sidelined while human suffering intensifies in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, and beyond. The debate over regional rotation versus merit, the push for gender equality in global leadership, and concerns about corruption and accountability all highlight tensions between established power structures and demands for more representative, responsive international governance. Whether the Security Council's veto-wielding powers will prioritize a leader willing to challenge their interests in defense of human rights and peace remains an open question with consequences for billions who depend on effective multilateral institutions.