At the end of the year, his term as Secretary General of the Portuguese will come to an end. The discredit of the US vis-à-vis the Organization, the constant circumvention of International Law, the ongoing wars and conflicts, and the significant economic problems create a context that will only be less than ideal for him or her who will be called upon to face these challenges and negotiate with politicians like Trump, Putin, Xi or Modi. There are a total of four candidates (two men and two women) after the completion of the nomination process. Many believe that the time has come for the first female Secretary General. Let’s see them in detail.
Michelle Bachelet, Chile
March 31, 2026. REUTERS/Rodrigo Garrido
Michelle Bachelet was Chile’s first female head of state. Prior to that, he served as Minister of Health and Minister of Defense. The 74-year-old also has extensive United Nations experience. She previously served as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and led the women’s rights organization UN Woman. Bachelet was nominated by Brazil and Mexico. Her country, Chile, no longer supports her candidacy since a new right-wing populist president, José Antonio Cast, took office. “He will have a hard time convincing, in particular, the Trump administration, which is currently strongly opposed to what it sees as the UN’s ‘woke’ agenda, that he can also be their ally,” says Maya Ungar of the Crisis Group think tank. As a veto-holder in the UN Security Council, the US could easily block her election.
Rafael Grossi, Argentina
March 13, 2026. REUTERS/Ramil Sitdikov
Rafael Grossi is the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). In this position, the 65-year-old has overseen nuclear programs worldwide for years and is responsible for nuclear safety. Grossi is often involved in highly sensitive diplomatic issues. For example, he is a staunch supporter of a new nuclear deal with Iran and, during the war in Ukraine, his warnings helped ensure the safety of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. Grossi was nominated by his native Argentina. “From his role, he had to talk to a lot of important players like the US, China and Russia, mediate, keep in constant communication with them and be present in the media,” Ungar said. According to her, Grossi is considered the favorite.
Rebecca Greenspan, Costa Rica
Rebecca Greenspan is an economist and former Vice President of Costa Rica, from 1994 to 1998. The 70-year-old is the Executive Secretary of the UN Conference on Trade and Development. It deals with global economic issues, focusing on sustainable development, trade and the reduction of inequalities between countries.’ She was nominated by her native Costa Rica. “One of the few decisive successes of Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was the grain deal at the start of the war in Ukraine,” says Ungar. “Greenspan, who helped shape it, got a lot of credit for it.”
Maki Sal, Senegal
Macky Sall was the president of Senegal for a long time. During his tenure, he mainly focused on infrastructure development and ensuring relative political stability. The 64-year-old also chaired the African Union and defended his continent’s interests on the world stage. Sal has often faced criticism for authoritarian tendencies. It was nominated by Burundi – as the only non-Latin American candidate. That could be a disadvantage for him, according to Ungar. Traditionally, the office of Secretary General rotates between regions of the world and this time it would be Latin America’s turn. “He would really need to secure broad support from African countries to have a serious chance. However, the African Union does not support his candidacy. That will make it difficult for him.”
Possible further nominations
From mid-April, candidates will present their platforms and answer questions from UN member states through an interactive online dialogue will begin. Starting in July, the Security Council will go through several rounds of voting until a candidate receives a majority without veto votes. Until voting begins, member states can nominate last-minute candidates. As a final step, the new candidate must be approved by the General Assembly. The result is expected in early autumn.
Source: tagesschau, ARD, DW
