Who could be the next UN Secretary-General?
For the first time in a decade, the United Nations will soon choose a new Secretary-General. DW takes a look at the six candidates, what
For the first time in a decade, the United Nations will soon choose a new Secretary-General. DW takes a look at the six candidates, what they stand for and the challenges they and the UN will face. After a decade in power, Antonio Guterres, will end his second term as UN Secretary-General on December 31. There are currently six candidates lining up to replace him. Whoever emerges victorious has a tough task, with the relevance, power and financial capability of the UN under an increasingly harsh spotlight. The UN Secretary-General is "equal parts diplomat and advocate, civil servant and CEO," according to the organization itself. The holder of the position oversees several vital UN organs, including the Security Council, charged with maintaining peace and security. The 80-year-old UN is struggling for relevance — here's why To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The winning candidate will be selected by the UN's General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council (whose permanent members are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States), making the path to victory narrow and fraught. Here's what you need to know about each candidate ahead of a debate between them on Thursday (July 23) at the UN's General Assembly Hall in New York. Michelle Bachelet is looking to add another first to her CV Image: Valentin Flauraud/Keystone/picture alliance The first female president of Chile (from 2006 to 2010 and then 2014 to 2018) is vying to become the first female UN Secretary-General, after several women lost out to Guterres in 2016.
"If I am polite, I would say the world was not prepared for it. Is it prepared now? I hope so," Bachelet, 74, said earlier this year. "It will be a very good signal," she said, adding that it would provide hope for many people. Bachelet also served as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights between 2018 and 2022, a position which saw her involved in many of the key geopolitical issues she would face if elected. While she has admitted she has no "magic formula" to resolve the issues on the Security Council, Bachelet has sought to talk up her experience as a key asset. Rafael Mariano Grossi Rafael Grossi is looking to his experience in the nuclear energy sector to boost his bid Image: Efrem Lukatsky/AP Photo/picture alliance The Argentine diplomat has spent most of his career in the nuclear and atomic energy sectors, culminating in his 2019 appointment as director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), an autonomous organization within the UN. Given the geopolitical landscape, with nuclear war perceived as an increasing threat, Grossi sees his background as "clearly an advantage. You have to understand the world you live in," he told Swiss outlet Geneva Solutions. Grossi supports the UN's current attempt at reform known as UN80 and says there is "no need to reinvent the wheel" but wants to streamline the organization with mergers of UN entities and reductions in "duplications, triplications, even quadruplications or quintuplications of structures," which add significant costs to members. Maria Fernanda Espinosa has enjoyed a varied career to date Image: Cyril Zingaro/KEYSTONE/picture alliance The Spanish-born Ecuadorian has packed plenty into her 61 years.
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