Six Candidates Vie to Lead the UN Amid Unprecedented Global Instability

Four women and two men are competing to replace António Guterres as the leader of the United Nations, which is currently facing unprecedented global instability, ranging from various armed conflicts to a serious budget crisis.

Observers say it is difficult to determine a frontrunner because major world powers remain divided in their choices. However, the name Rafael Grossi of Argentina, who currently heads the UN nuclear watchdog, is frequently mentioned as one of the strongest candidates.

Besides Grossi, the other candidates are Michelle Bachelet of Chile, Maria Fernanda Espinosa of Ecuador, Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett of Guyana, and Macky Sall of Senegal.

Although the chosen candidate only needs nine votes from the 15-member UN Security Council, they must also avoid a veto. This means the United States, the United Kingdom, China, France, and Russia, as the five permanent members, have a decisive role in selecting the new leader of the world body.

Here are the profiles of the candidates.

Michelle Bachelet

Michelle Bachelet, a Chilean socialist who endured brutal torture under the regime of Augusto Pinochet, became Chile’s first female president in 2006. She later served as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, a sensitive position that brought her into conflict with several countries, notably China, which condemned her reports on alleged rights violations against Uyghur minorities. Bachelet, now 74, has stated that the UN Secretary-General must have the “moral compass” to lead, even under pressure from major powers. She has received support from Mexico and Brazil, but the Chilean government withdrew its backing after right-wing President Jose Antonio Kast took office. The United States has also previously criticised her, particularly over her support for abortion rights.

Maria Fernanda Espinosa

Maria Fernanda Espinosa is a former Foreign Minister of Ecuador. She believes the UN is the only universal institution capable of addressing the shared challenges facing humanity, but she is also pushing for deeper reforms within the organisation. The 61-year-old previously served as President of the UN General Assembly, where she proposed establishing an “early warning” system to detect and flag symptoms that could trigger conflicts between nations before they erupt. Her candidacy is supported by Antigua and Barbuda, though her home country, Ecuador, has not offered its endorsement.

Rafael Grossi

Rafael Grossi, 65, is a senior Argentine diplomat who has led the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) since 2019. His position has placed him at the centre of critical global issues, including the dispute over Iran’s nuclear programme and Russia’s occupation of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine. Grossi has not resigned from his current post to campaign for the Secretary-General role, stating that leaving his duties would be an “abdication of responsibility.” Some observers consider Grossi to be more outspoken in pushing for UN reform and believe the Secretary-General should take a more active and direct role in addressing global issues.

Rebeca Grynspan

Rebeca Grynspan is a former Vice President of Costa Rica who currently heads the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). She has taken a leave of absence from her post to campaign for the UN’s top job. In 2022, she achieved a significant diplomatic success by helping to mediate the Black Sea Grain Initiative between Moscow and Kyiv, which allowed grain exports to continue following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The 70-year-old often highlights her personal story as the daughter of Jewish parents, describing herself as a person who “narrowly survived” the Holocaust before her family migrated to Costa Rica. She has also lamented that the UN has become a highly risk-averse organisation, calling it a “risk-conservative organisation.”

Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett

Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett is a former Foreign Minister of Guyana. The 52-year-old currently serves as her country’s ambassador to the UN. She argues that the UN needs to restore its “credibility” on the international stage. She contends that the UN is often judged solely on peace and security, whereas the organisation has a much broader role and makes significant contributions in development, human rights, and many other sectors.

Macky Sall

Macky Sall, 64, is the only candidate not from Latin America, a region that, by tradition, is considered to have a claim on the next Secretary-General post. The former President of Senegal stresses that peace and development are closely interlinked. His candidacy was submitted by Burundi, the current chair of the African Union, and he only received official backing from his own country this week. However, Senegalese authorities have accused Sall of repression during political demonstrations that resulted in dozens of deaths between 2021 and 2024.