UN Secretary-General Race Features Seven Candidates Including Five Women

The Current Field of Candidates

The seven candidates currently in the race include a mix of former heads of state, high-ranking UN officials, and diplomats:

* Michelle Bachelet: Former President of Chile and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. * Rebeca Grynspan: Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and former Vice President of Costa Rica. * María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés: Former President of the UN General Assembly and former Minister for Foreign Affairs, Defence, and Natural Heritage of Ecuador. * Virginia Gamba: Former Special Advisor to the Secretary-General on Prevention of Genocide and Hate Speech and former UN Under Secretary-General and Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict. * Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett: Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations. * Rafael Grossi: Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency. * Macky Sall: Former President of Senegal.

While the UN Charter sets no formal citizenship requirements for the post, the issue of dual citizenship has emerged as a point of discussion among member states. According to reports, Rafael Grossi holds Italian citizenship in addition to his Argentine nationality, and María Fernanda Espinosa is a Spanish citizen. Other candidates, including Michelle Bachelet, Macky Sall, and Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett, reportedly hold citizenship only from their respective home countries.

Selection Process and Geopolitical Stakes

The Secretary-General is appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council, where the five permanent members—China, France, Russia, the UK, and the US—hold veto power. The Security Council is scheduled to begin the straw-polling process in the final week of July 2026.

Diplomatic observers note that the selection process often involves complex negotiations.

Furthermore, although the US mission has stated it would not consider a specific region or gender as a primary factor in its decision, senior American officials have expressed openness to a female candidate. Could be a woman, absolutely. There is no reason why not, said Ambassador Dan Negrea, US Representative to the United Nations Economic and Social Council.

Historical Context and Institutional Goals

In its 80-year history, the United Nations has never had a woman serve as Secretary-General. In September 2025, the General Assembly adopted a resolution noting this with “regretand encouraged member states tostrongly consider nominating women as candidates.”

The US government has characterized the selection of the next chief as an extremely important matter for the efficiency of the organization. Ambassador Negrea confirmed that the US Mission to the UN and the State Department are actively evaluating the candidates, noting that while Secretary of State Marco Rubio has not met with them, US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz and other officials have held meetings with individuals seeking the post.

Sources: Dailytrust, India Today.