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The United Nations formally launched the selection process for its next secretary-general on Tuesday, with the presidents of the Security Council and General Assembly issuing a joint letter inviting member states to submit nominations and outlining procedures for the coming months.
In a letter addressed to all 193 member states, U.N. leaders said they are seeking candidates with extensive experience in international relations, diplomacy, and language skills.
“The position of secretary-general is one of great importance and one that requires the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity and a firm commitment to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations,” wrote Sierra Leone’s U.N. Ambassador Michael Imran Kanu, the current Security Council president, and General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock.
The letter also emphasized the need for gender balance, noting “with regret that no woman has ever held the position of secretary-general” and calling on member states “to strongly consider nominating women.”
“Convinced of the need to guarantee equal opportunities for women and men in gaining access to senior decision-making positions, member states are encouraged to strongly consider nominating women as candidates,” the letter said. “We note the importance of regional diversity in the selection of secretaries-general.”
The successor to current Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will be chosen next year and begin a five-year term on Jan. 1, 2027. Under Article 97 of the U.N. Charter, the secretary-general is appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council.
Names already floated for the post include former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet; Rebeca Grynspan, current head of the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development and former vice president of Costa Rica; and Argentine diplomat Rafael Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Candidates must be nominated by a state or group of states and are required to submit a vision statement and a list of funding sources.
Although there is a tradition of geographical rotation, which would suggest a Latin American candidate this time, it is not a binding rule. The letter referenced “the importance of regional diversity” without naming a preferred region.
Candidates may also participate in public interviews, a transparency measure first introduced in the 2016 selection process that led to Guterres’ appointment.
Security Council members are expected to begin the formal vetting process by the end of July. The five permanent members with veto power, the United States, China, Russia, the United Kingdom and France, will play a decisive role in determining who is recommended.
Once the council makes its recommendation, the General Assembly will vote to appoint the next secretary-general to a term beginning Jan. 1, 2027. The position is renewable for a second term.
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