The UN will hold elections for a new Secretary General. What you need to know

The election of a new UN Secretary General will take place in 2026. Antonio Guterres' successor, who has held this post since 2017, will first be determined by the UN Security Council, and then officially approved by the General Assembly. The next Secretary General is highly likely to be a representative of Latin America. The main candidates are the head of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi, and former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet. What you need to know about them and the upcoming elections is in the Izvestia article.

What is the function of the UN Secretary General?

• The UN Secretary-General is often perceived as the head of the entire United Nations, who fully manages it and has the greatest influence on decision-making. In fact, the Secretary—General heads only the UN Secretariat, which is one of the six bodies that form the foundation of the organization. Other such bodies are the General Assembly, the Security Council, the International Court of Justice, the Economic and Social Council, and the Trusteeship Council, which has been suspended. All these organs are quite autonomous and function independently of each other. Each of them has its own leader, chairman or main representative.

• The UN Secretariat, which includes more than 50,000 civil servants, performs organizational functions. He supports the work of the other bodies administratively: organizes their meetings, compiles reports, allocates the budget, conducts research, interacts with the media, publishes contracts and agreements. In some matters, the Secretariat takes the initiative and deals with their resolution, but this does not apply to fundamental topics that directly concern other bodies.

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• The Secretary-General has full authority within the Secretariat, appoints staff and publishes an annual report on the work of the United Nations. According to the UN Charter, he has the right to inform the Security Council about any issues that may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security. Otherwise, the powers of the Secretary General are defined informally and remain at the discretion of the specific person who holds this position. In the history of the United Nations, there have been those who have played a purely technocratic role, but there have also been those who have been proactive in mediating global conflicts.

Who is chosen as the UN Secretary General

• The UN Charter does not define specific rules and criteria by which the Secretary-General should be appointed. However, over the years of the UN's existence, traditions have been formed that this procedure follows. It is believed that the Secretary General should not represent one of the five permanent members of the Security Council (Great Britain, China, Russia, USA, France). The General Assembly also recommended that regional and gender rotation be taken into account when appointing a position. Of the nine General Secretaries who have officially held this position, so far all have been men, four have represented Europe, two each were from Asia and Africa, and one more originated from South America.

• The primary selection for the post of UN Secretary General is carried out by the Security Council. Its members discuss possible candidates and hold secret ballots to screen out applicants. There are no formal criteria for this position, but it is believed that the future Secretary General must be a qualified diplomat and have experience working in international and government structures. He is also required to have a solid knowledge of English and French — the latter point is crucial for France, which has already rejected candidates who did not speak its language several times.

• When the Security Council reaches agreement on one of the figures, her candidacy is put to a vote in the UN General Assembly. As a rule, it takes place openly, the decision is made unanimously. The UN Secretary-General is elected for a five-year term and may hold office for two terms. While working, he lives in New York, in a four-story mansion within walking distance of the UN headquarters.

Who is applying for the post of Secretary General

• Antonio Guterres, former Portuguese Prime Minister and UN High Commissioner for Refugees, currently holds the post of Secretary-General. His mandate will last until December 31, 2026, after which he will leave the post, as he has been holding it for two terms. Those wishing to succeed him must register by April 1, and on the 20th they will begin presenting themselves to the members of the Security Council. According to the informal rotation, the new Secretary General will be a representative of Latin America and the Caribbean Islands.

• The first official candidate was Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), who was nominated by his native Argentina. In recent years, he has become one of the main actors in world diplomacy, taking part in ensuring the safety of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant and resolving issues related to Iran's nuclear program. At the same time, Grossi periodically criticizes the UN for having lost the ability to actively engage in diplomacy and not fulfilling its main goal of preventing global conflicts. In addition to Argentina, he has already received support from Italy and Paraguay.

• The next candidate for the post of UN Secretary General was Michelle Bachelet, nominated simultaneously by Chile, Brazil and Mexico. In the past, she was twice elected president of Chile and pursued a center-left policy in the country. In between her two terms, Bachelet was the Executive Director of UN Women and was Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon. After leaving national politics, Bachelet became the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights for four years.

• It is Grossi and Bachelet who are considered the main favorites of the election race due to their rich diplomatic experience. In addition to them, the former Vice President of Costa Rica and Secretary General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Rebecca Greenspan, and the former President of Senegal, Mackie Sall, who was nominated by Burundi, were officially nominated.