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2026 United Nations Secretary-General selection
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Incumbent Secretary-General

António Guterres


A United Nations Secretary-General selection is currently being held to choose the next Secretary-General of the United Nations. The incumbent Secretary-General is António Guterres of Portugal, whose term ends on 31 December 2026.[1]

Campaign

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On 16 January 2026, Annalena Baerbock, President of the United Nations General Assembly, publicly called on more candidates to enter the race.[2]

Candidates

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Registered candidates

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The selection process formally began on 25 November 2025. To date, seven candidates have been nominated, of whom one subsequently withdrew.[3]

PhotoCandidateNominatorNominatedRegional GroupPrior experienceCitations
Michelle Bachelet
Brazil[a]
Mexico[a]
Chile[b]		 2 February 2026Latin American and Caribbean GroupPresident of Chile (2006–2010, 2014–2018)
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (2018–2022)
Executive director of UN Women (2010–2013)		[6][7]
María Fernanda Espinosa Antigua and Barbuda 12 May 2026 Latin American and Caribbean Group President of the 73rd UN General Assembly
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ecuador (2017–2018)		 [8][9]
Rafael Grossi Argentina22 December 2025Latin American and Caribbean GroupArgentine Ambassador to Austria (2013–2019)
Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (2019–present)		[10]
Rebeca Grynspan Costa Rica 3 March 2026 Latin American and Caribbean Group Second Vice President of Costa Rica (1994–1998)
Secretary-General of the Ibero-American General Secretariat (2014–2021)
Secretary-General of UNCTAD (2021–present)		 [11]
Rodrigues Birkett in 2011 Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett Guyana 15 June 2026 Latin American and Caribbean Group Minister of Amerindian Affairs of Guyana
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guyana
Director at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization
Permanent Representative of Guyana to the United Nations		 [12]
Macky Sall Burundi 2 March 2026 African Group President of Senegal (2012–2024)
Chairperson of the African Union (2022–2023)
Prime Minister of Senegal (2004–2007)
Special Envoy for the Paris Pact for People and the Planet (4P) (2024)		 [13]

Withdrawn

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PhotoCandidateNominatorNominatedWithdrewRegional GroupPrior experienceCitations
Headshot of Virginia Gamba Virginia Gamba Maldives 11 March 2026 25 March 2026 Asia-Pacific Group Special Advisor to the Secretary-General on Prevention of Genocide and Hate Speech (acting) (2024—2025)
Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict (2017—2025)
Director of the Office of Disarmament Affairs (2012—2015)		 [14][15]

Expressed interest but no formal candidacy filed

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PhotoCandidateCountryAnnouncedRegional GroupPrior experienceCitations
Ivonne Baki11 January 2026Latin American and Caribbean GroupEcuadorian Ambassador to France (2024)
Ecuadorian Ambassador to the United States (2020–2024)		[16]
Colombe Cahen-Salvador France31 March 2024Western European and Others GroupCo-Founder of Atlas Movement[17][18][19]
David Choquehuanca Bolivia25 April 2025Latin American and Caribbean GroupForeign Minister of Bolivia (2016–2017)
Secretary General of ALBA (2017–2019)
Vice President of Bolivia (2020–2025)		[20][21][22]
Bruno Donat Mauritius22 June 2025African GroupHead of the Geneva Office of the United Nations Mine Action Service (2019–2025)[23][24]

Speculated

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PhotoCandidateCountryRegional GroupPrior experienceCitations
Jacinda Ardern New ZealandWestern European and Others GroupPrime Minister of New Zealand (2017–2023)[20]
Alicia Bárcena MexicoLatin American and Caribbean GroupExecutive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (2008–2022)
Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs (2023–2024)
Mexican Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources
Vuk Jeremić SerbiaEastern European GroupSerbian Minister of Foreign Affairs (2007–2012)
President of the United Nations General Assembly (2012–2013)		[20]
Amina J. Mohammed Nigeria
United Kingdom[c]		African Group
Western European and Others Group		Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations (2017–present)[27][20]
Mia Mottley BarbadosLatin American and Caribbean GroupPrime Minister of Barbados (2018–present)[26][28][20][29]
Kevin Rudd AustraliaWestern European and Others GroupPrime Minister of Australia (2007–2010, June-September 2013)
Foreign Minister (2010–2012)
Australian Ambassador to the United States (2023–2026)		[30]
Sir Keir Starmer United Kingdom Western European and Others Group Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (2024–present) [31]
Achim Steiner Brazil
Germany[c]		Latin American and Caribbean Group
Western European and Others Group		Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (2017–present)[20]

Declined

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Endorsements

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Michelle Bachelet
Nations
Ivonne Baki
Nations
Rafael Grossi
Nations
Rebeca Grynspan
Nations
Macky Sall
Nations

Notes

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  1. 1 2 This person was nominated by multiple countries.
  2. 1 2 Michelle Bachelet was jointly nominated in February 2026 by the governments of Brazil, Mexico and her home country, Chile, during the presidency of Gabriel Boric.[4] However, on 24 March 2026, President José Antonio Kast announced that his government would withdraw its support for Bachelet's candidacy.[5]
  3. 1 2 This person holds multiple citizenship.

References

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  1. ↑ Samarasinghe, Natalie (2021-06-16). "Opinion: The road to the 2026 UN secretary-general race begins now". Devex. Archived from the original on 2024-12-13. Retrieved 2024-12-10.
  2. 1 2 Banjo, Damilola (2026-01-14). "Where Are the Candidates? UN General Assembly Chief Calls for More People to Enter Secretary-General Race". passblue.com. Retrieved 2026-02-16.
  3. ↑ "Selection and appointment of the next Secretary-General". United Nations.
  4. ↑ "Con el respaldo de Brasil y México: Presidente Boric inscribió candidatura de Michelle Bachelet a la ONU". 24horas (in Spanish). 2 February 2026.
  5. ↑ "El Gobierno de Kast no apoyará la candidatura de Bachelet a la ONU". Cooperativa (in Spanish). 24 March 2026. Archived from the original on 2026-03-25. Retrieved 2026-03-24.
  6. ↑ "Joint letter regarding the nomination of Michelle Bachelet Jeria by Chile, Brazil, and Mexico [A/80/616-S/2026/56]" (PDF). United Nations. 2 February 2026. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 May 2026. Retrieved 21 April 2026.
  7. ↑ "Joint letter regarding the withdrawal of nomination of Michelle Bachelet Jeria by Chile [A/80/694-S/2026/226]" (PDF). United Nations. 25 March 2026. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 May 2026. Retrieved 21 April 2026.
  8. ↑ "Ecuador's Espinosa joins battle to lad United Nations".
  9. ↑ "Former Ecuadoran top diplomat enters race for UN chief". France 24. 12 May 2026. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  10. ↑ "Joint letter regarding the nomination of Rafael Mariano Grossi by Argentina [A/80/549-S/2025/775]" (PDF). United Nations. 26 November 2025. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 May 2026. Retrieved 21 April 2026.
  11. ↑ "Joint letter regarding the nomination of Rebeca Grynspan Mayufis by Costa Rica [A/80/666-S/2026/124]" (PDF). United Nations. 3 March 2026. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 May 2026. Retrieved 21 April 2026.
  12. ↑ "Joint letter regarding the nomination of Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett by Guyana [A/80/764-S/2026/498]" (PDF). United Nations. 15 June 2026.
  13. ↑ "Joint letter regarding the nomination of Macky Sall by Burundi [A/80/662 - S/2026/123]" (PDF). United Nations. 2 March 2026. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 May 2026. Retrieved 21 April 2026.
  14. ↑ "Joint letter regarding the nomination of Virginia Gamba by the Maldives [A/80/671-S/2026/168]" (PDF). United Nations. 11 March 2026. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 May 2026. Retrieved 21 April 2026.
  15. ↑ "Joint letter regarding the withdrawal of nomination of Virginia Gamba by the Maldives [A/80/695-S/2026/236]" (PDF). United Nations. 25 March 2026. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 May 2026. Retrieved 21 April 2026.
  16. 1 2 "Líbano oficializa candidatura de Ivonne Baki para la Secretaría General de la ONU". El Universo (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2026-02-15. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
  17. ↑ "Një OKB për 'mbijetesën' e njerëzimit – aktivistja Cahen-Salvador shpall kandidaturën për Sekretare të Përgjithshme | Albanian Post" [A UN for the 'survival' of humanity – activist Cahen-Salvador announces candidacy for Secretary-General | Albanian Post.]. albanianpost.com (in Albanian). Archived from the original on 2026-01-16. Retrieved 2026-01-07.
  18. ↑ PassBlue (2025-11-01). "Results of PassBlue's Survey: 'Vote for the Next UN Secretary-General' - PassBlue". passblue.com. Retrieved 2026-03-14.
  19. ↑ "Making the UN Personal with Colombe Cahen-Salvador | General Studies". www.bu.edu. Archived from the original on 2026-01-24. Retrieved 2026-03-14.
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Rumoured potential candidates". 1 for 8 Billion. Archived from the original on 2025-03-18. Retrieved 2025-04-28.
  21. ↑ Dávalos, Gabriela Keseberg; Donaldson, Ben (2025-05-08). "Bolivia Jumps the Gun With Early Candidate for UN Secretary-General". PassBlue. Archived from the original on 2025-06-24. Retrieved 2025-06-09.
  22. ↑ "Bolivian VP nominated for UN top position". MercoPress. Archived from the original on 2025-06-15. Retrieved 2025-06-09.
  23. ↑ CBS 42. (2025, June 22). Global Candidate Bruno Donat runs for UN Secretary-General: Official conducted hunger strike for Gaza children. https://www.cbs42.com/business/press-releases/ein-presswire/822318552/global-candidate-bruno-donat-runs-for-un-secretary-general-official-conducted-hunger-strike-for-gaza-children/[dead link]
  24. ↑ Ginzo, Julián (2025-10-19). "Planning a UN Revolution - THEY SAID SO". Archived from the original on 2025-10-23. Retrieved 2025-11-05.
  25. ↑ Dodds, Felix; Spence, Chris (2024-04-22). "Africa: Who Should be the Next UN Leader? - PART 3". Inter Press Service. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  26. 1 2 3 Fillion, Stephanie (2023-09-29). "Analysis: Who could lead the United Nations next? This Caribbean climate leader makes diplomats 'jump' with excitement". CNN. Archived from the original on 2024-12-13. Retrieved 2024-12-10.
  27. ↑ Dodds, Felix; Spence, Chris (2024-04-22). "Africa: Who Should Be the Next UN Leader? - Part 1". Inter Press Service. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  28. ↑ Dodds, Felix; Spence, Chris (2024-04-22). "Africa: Who Should be the Next UN Leader? - PART 2". Inter Press Service. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  29. 1 2 La Nación. "Un candidato argentino para presidir la ONU". Inter Press Service (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2025-07-14. Retrieved 2025-07-11.
  30. ↑ Knott, Matthew (27 January 2026). "Kevin Rudd tried before for the UN's top job. Two obstacles stand in the way of another go". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 28 January 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  31. ↑ Evans, Lee David. "Will Keir Starmer become the secretary general of the UN?". UnHerd. Archived from the original on 2026-06-27. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  32. ↑ Lula da Silva [@LulaOficial] (February 2, 2026). "É com muita honra que o Brasil apoia a candidatura de @mbachelet à Secretária-Geral da ONU. Em oito décadas de história, é hora de a organização finalmente ser comandada por uma mulher" (Tweet) (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retweeted by Gabriel Boric – via X (formerly Twitter).
  33. ↑ "México, Brasil y Chile oficializan la candidatura de Michelle Bachelet para la Secretaría General de la Organización de las Naciones Unidas". Gobierno de México (in Spanish).
  34. ↑ "El Gobierno presentó formalmente la candidatura de Rafael Grossi para conducir la ONU". Infobae (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2025-12-22. Retrieved 2025-12-23.
  35. ↑ Piqué, Elisabetta. "Italia respalda la candidatura de Rafael Grossi como secretario general de la ONU". La Nación (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2025-12-22. Retrieved 2025-12-20.
  36. ↑ "Paraguay expresó su apoyo a la candidatura de Grossi para la ONU". La Nación (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2025-12-05. Retrieved 2025-12-23.
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