Who Are the Candidates Vying to Lead the UN?

Eight candidates, including five women and three men, are actively competing to succeed Antonio Guterres as United Nations Secretary-General amid severe global instability and budget challenges.

In the latest Security Council straw poll, former Guyanese Foreign Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett took the lead, narrowly edging out Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan, who won the initial vote.

International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi of Argentina placed third.

To secure the position, the winning contender must obtain nine votes from the 15-member Security Council without triggering a veto from any of the five permanent members: China, France, Russia, Britain, or the United States.

The current front-runner, 52-year-old Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, serves as Guyana’s UN ambassador and advocates for rebuilding the organisation’s global credibility beyond traditional security roles.

Former Costa Rican Vice President Rebeca Grynspan, 70, currently leads UNCTAD and highlights her diplomatic success with the 2022 Black Sea Grain Initiative while calling for the UN to embrace more risk.

Meanwhile, former Chilean President and UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet, 74, stresses the need for a strong moral voice despite opposition from her home country’s new leadership.

Former UN General Assembly President Maria Fernanda Espinosa, 61, represents Ecuador with a platform proposing an early warning system to detect emerging global conflicts.

The remaining candidates bring diverse diplomatic backgrounds to the selection process.

Argentina’s Rafael Grossi, 65, continues his leadership at the IAEA while campaigning on a push for direct executive reform.

Ecuadorian diplomat Ivonne A-Baki, 75, emphasises her conflict mediation experience and strong international ties after receiving a nomination from Tonga.

Representing Africa, former Senegalese President Macky Sall, 64, links global peace directly to economic development despite domestic controversy, while former UN Under-Secretary-General Olara Otunnu, 75, of Uganda draws on decades of institutional and human rights experience.