2026 United Nations Secretary-General selection

On 16 January 2026, Annalena Baerbock, President of the United Nations General Assembly, publicly called on more candidates to enter the race.^[2]

Summarize Timeline Fact Check

The selection process formally began on 25 November 2025. To date, five candidates have been nominated, of whom one subsequently withdrew.^[3]

Photo	Candidate	Nominator	Nominated	Regional Group	Prior experience	Citations
	Michelle Bachelet	Brazil[a] Mexico[a] Chile[b]	2 February 2026	Latin American and Caribbean Group	President of Chile (2006–2010, 2014–2018) United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (2018–2022) Executive director of UN Women (2010–2013)	[6][7]
	Rafael Grossi	Argentina	22 December 2025	Latin American and Caribbean Group	Argentine Ambassador to Austria (2013–2019) Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (2019–present)	[8]
	Rebeca Grynspan	Costa Rica	3 March 2026	Latin American and Caribbean Group	Second Vice President of Costa Rica (1994–1998) Secretary-General of the Ibero-American General Secretariat (2014–2021) Secretary-General of UNCTAD (2021–present)	[9]
	Macky Sall	Burundi	2 March 2026	African Group	President of Senegal (2012–2024) Chairperson of the African Union (2022–2023) Prime Minister of Senegal (2004–2007) Special Envoy for the Paris Pact for People and the Planet (4P) (2024)	[10]

Photo	Candidate	Nominator	Nominated	Withdrew	Regional Group	Prior experience	Citations
	Virginia Gamba	Maldives	11 March 2026	25 March 2026	Asia-Pacific Group	Special Advisor to the Secretary-General on Prevention of Genocide and Hate Speech (acting) (2024—2025) Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict (2017—2025) Director of the Office of Disarmament Affairs (2012—2015)	[11][12]

Photo	Candidate	Country	Announced	Regional Group	Prior experience	Citations
	Ivonne Baki	Ecuador Lebanon	11 January 2026	Latin American and Caribbean Group	Ecuadorian Ambassador to France (2024) Ecuadorian Ambassador to the United States (2020–2024)	[13]
	Colombe Cahen-Salvador	France	31 March 2024	Western European and Others Group	Co-Founder of Atlas Movement	[14][15][16]
	David Choquehuanca	Bolivia	25 April 2025	Latin American and Caribbean Group	Foreign Minister of Bolivia (2016–2017) Secretary General of ALBA (2017–2019) Vice President of Bolivia (2020–2025)	[17][18][19]
	Bruno Donat	Mauritius	22 June 2025	African Group	Head of the Geneva Office of the United Nations Mine Action Service (2019–2025)	[20][21]

Photo	Candidate	Country	Regional Group	Prior experience	Citations
	Jacinda Ardern	New Zealand	Western European and Others Group	Prime Minister of New Zealand (2017–2023)	[17]
	Alicia Bárcena	Mexico	Latin American and Caribbean Group	Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (2008–2022) Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs (2023–2024) Mexican Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources (2024–present)	[22][23][17]
	María Fernanda Espinosa	Ecuador	Latin American and Caribbean Group	Ecuadorian Minister of Foreign Affairs (2007; 2017–2018) Ecuadorian Minister of National Defense (2012–2014) President of the United Nations General Assembly (2018–2019)	[24][23][17][25]
	Kristalina Georgieva	Bulgaria	Eastern European Group	Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (2019–present)	[17]
	Vuk Jeremić	Serbia	Eastern European Group	Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs (2007–2012) President of the United Nations General Assembly (2012–2013)	[17]
	Amina J. Mohammed	Nigeria United Kingdom[c]	African Group Western European and Others Group	Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations (2017–present)	[26][17]
	Mia Mottley	Barbados	Latin American and Caribbean Group	Prime Minister of Barbados (2018–present)	[23][27][17][25]
	Kevin Rudd	Australia	Western European and Others Group	Prime Minister of Australia (2007–2010, June-September 2013) Foreign Minister (2010–2012) Australian Ambassador to the United States (2023–2026)	[28]
	Achim Steiner	Brazil Germany[c]	Latin American and Caribbean Group Western European and Others Group	Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (2017–present)	[17]

• Juan Manuel Santos, President of Colombia (2010–2018) (endorsed a female candidate)^[23][25][17]