2026 United Nations Secretary-General selection

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A United Nations Secretary-General selection is currently being held to choose the next Secretary-General of the United Nations.[1] The current Secretary-General, António Guterres of Portugal, will complete his second term on 31 December 2026.[2]

Quick facts
2026 United Nations Secretary-General selection
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Incumbent Secretary-General

António Guterres


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Campaign

The selection process is governed by Article 97 of the Charter of the United Nations and by United Nations General Assembly resolutions, including resolution 79/327 of 5 September 2025.[3] The process formally began on 25 November 2025 with a letter from the President of the General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock, and the President of the Security Council, Michael Imran Kanu, inviting Member States to nominate candidates.[4] Nominations are announced jointly by the General Assembly and the Security Council.[1][1]

Interactive dialogues between nominated candidates and Member States were held in April and June 2026 and were broadcast live on UN Web TV. A town hall meeting with six of the official candidates, hosted by Bloomberg, took place on 23 July and was also broadcast online.[1][5] The fifteen members of the Security Council began considering the candidates in July, and are expected to submit a recommendation to the General Assembly later in the year.[6][7] They held the first of several closed-door, anonymous "straw poll" votes on their preferences on 30 July.[8]

Candidates

Registered candidates

Eight candidates have been formally nominated by Member States, of whom one subsequently withdrew.[1]

More information Photo, Candidate ...
PhotoCandidateNominatorNominatedRegional GroupPrior experienceCitations
Michelle Bachelet
Brazil[a]
Mexico[a]
Chile[b]		 2 February 2026Latin American and Caribbean GroupPresident of Chile (2006–2010, 2014–2018)
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (2018–2022)
Executive director of UN Women (2010–2013)		[11][12]
María Fernanda Espinosa Antigua and Barbuda 12 May 2026 Latin American and Caribbean Group President of the 73rd UN General Assembly
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ecuador (2017–2018)		 [13][14]
Rafael Grossi Argentina22 December 2025Latin American and Caribbean GroupArgentine Ambassador to Austria (2013–2019)
Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (2019–present)		[15]
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)		 [16]
Olara Otunnu Uganda 25 July 2026 African Group Permanent Representative of Uganda to the United Nations (1980–1985)
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uganda (1985–1986)
President of the International Peace Academy (1990–1998)
Under-Secretary General and Special Representative for Children in Armed Conflict (1997–2005)
 [17]
Rodrigues Birkett in 2011 Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett Guyana 15 June 2026 Latin American and Caribbean Group Minister of Amerindian Affairs of Guyana (2001–2008)
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guyana (2008–2015)
Director at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (2017–2020)
Permanent Representative of Guyana to the United Nations (2020–present)		 [18]
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)		 [19]
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Withdrawn

More information Photo, Candidate ...
PhotoCandidateNominatorNominatedWithdrewRegional GroupPrior experienceCitations
Headshot of Virginia Gamba 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)		 [20][21]
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Expressed interest

The following individuals expressed interest in the role, but no formal nominations have been received.

More information Photo, Candidate ...
PhotoCandidateCountryAnnouncedRegional GroupPrior experienceCitations
Ivonne Baki
11 January 2026Latin American and Caribbean GroupEcuadorian Ambassador to France (2024)
Ecuadorian Ambassador to the United States (2020–2024)		[22]
Colombe Cahen-Salvador France31 March 2024Western European and Others GroupCo-founder of Atlas Movement[23][24][25]
David Choquehuanca Bolivia25 April 2025Latin American and Caribbean GroupForeign Minister of Bolivia (2016–2017)
Secretary General of ALBA (2017–2019)
Vice President of Bolivia (2020–2025)		[26][27][28]
Bruno Donat Mauritius22 June 2025African GroupHead of the Geneva Office of the United Nations Mine Action Service (2019–2025)[29][30]
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Speculated

More information Photo, Candidate ...
PhotoCandidateCountryRegional GroupPrior experienceCitations
Jacinda Ardern New ZealandWestern European and Others GroupPrime Minister of New Zealand (2017–2023)[26]
Alicia Bárcena MexicoLatin American and Caribbean GroupExecutive 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)		 [31][32][26]
Kristalina Georgieva BulgariaEastern European GroupManaging Director of the International Monetary Fund (2019–present)[26]
Gianni Infantino  Switzerland
United States		 Western European and Others Group President of FIFA (2016–present) [33]
Vuk Jeremić SerbiaEastern European GroupSerbian Minister of Foreign Affairs (2007–2012)
President of the United Nations General Assembly (2012–2013)		[26]
Amina J. Mohammed Nigeria
United Kingdom[c]		African Group
Western European and Others Group		Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations (2017–present)[34][26]
Mia Mottley BarbadosLatin American and Caribbean GroupPrime Minister of Barbados (2018–present)[32][35][26][36]
Kevin Rudd AustraliaWestern European and Others GroupPrime Minister of Australia (2007–2010, June-September 2013)
Foreign Minister (2010–2012)
Australian Ambassador to the United States (2023–2026)		[37]
Keir Starmer United Kingdom Western European and Others Group Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (2024–2026) [38]
Achim Steiner Brazil
Germany[c]		Latin American and Caribbean Group
Western European and Others Group		Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (2017–present)[26]
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Declined

Endorsements

Michelle Bachelet
Nations
Ivonne Baki
Nations
Rafael Grossi
Nations

Security Council straw polls

The Security Council will hold a series of straw polls. Security Council members[d] were asked to indicate whether they "encouraged", "discouraged" or had "no opinion" regarding the candidates. During the first rounds of the polls, all ballots were identical; in future rounds, ballots from the five permanent members will be marked to identify potential vetoes.[47]

More information Candidate, 30 July 2026 ...
United Nations Secretary-General selection straw poll results
Candidate 30 July 2026[47]
E D N
Chile Michelle Bachelet 654
Ecuador María Fernanda Espinosa 528
Argentina Rafael Grossi 726
Costa Rica Rebeca Grynspan 1014
Uganda Olara Otunnu 258
Guyana Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett 924
Senegal Macky Sall 672
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Candidate received at least one "encouraged" from a veto-wielding P5 member
Candidate received at least one "discouraged" from a veto-wielding P5 member

Notes

  1. [a]
    This person was nominated by multiple countries.
  2. [b]
    Michelle Bachelet was jointly nominated in February 2026 by the governments of Brazil, Mexico and her home country, Chile, during the presidency of Gabriel Boric.[9] However, on 24 March 2026, far-right President José Antonio Kast announced that his government would withdraw its support for Bachelet's candidacy.[10]
  3. [c]
    This person holds multiple citizenship.
  4. [d]
    The Security Council comprises China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States (the five permanent members), together with ten non-permanent members on rotation: currently, Bahrain, Colombia, DR Congo, Denmark, Greece, Latvia, Liberia, Pakistan, Panama and Somalia.[46]

References

External links

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