UN Officially Opens Selection Process for Next Secretary-General
The United Nations Security Council and General Assembly have officially begun the process of selecting the organization’s next Secretary-General by issuing a joint letter. Signed by Sierra Leone, the current rotating president of the Security Council, the letter calls on member states to submit their candidates for the position.
The letter encourages countries to consider, for the first time in UN history, nominating a woman for the role, as no woman has ever held the office. It also highlights the importance of balanced geographical representation in the UN leadership.
According to the outlined procedure, each member state is permitted to nominate only one candidate. Nominations must be submitted via an official letter addressed to the presidents of both the Security Council and the General Assembly. In addition, each candidate must provide a work plan, a strategic vision for the UN’s future, and a proposed financial framework.
If a candidate is currently serving in an official UN role, they are required to temporarily step down to avoid any conflict of interest. The selection vote for the new Secretary-General is expected to take place in July 2026.
The term of the current Secretary-General, António Guterres, runs through the end of December 2026. So far, Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, is the only individual to have formally announced his candidacy.
The Secretary-General is appointed by the Security Council and confirmed by the General Assembly to serve a renewable five-year term. Although there is no formal limit on the number of terms, the position has traditionally been held for a maximum of ten years. Additionally, by unwritten convention, the Secretary-General is not chosen from any of the five permanent Security Council members — the United States, Russia, China, France, or the United Kingdom.
