The process to elect the next United Nations secretary-general formally kicked off on Tuesday as member states were asked to nominate candidates to take over the role from January 1, 2027. In a joint letter, the 15 member Security Council and the president of the 193 member General Assembly invited nominations, marking the start of the race to replace Antonio Guterres as the world body’s chief administrator. The 15 member Security Council will formally recommend a candidate to the 193 member General Assembly for election as the 10th U.N. secretary general later next year. Publicly declared candidates for the role include Chile’s former President Michelle Bachelet, the former Vice President of Costa Rica Rebeca Grynspan, and Argentinian diplomat Rafael Grossi. Ultimately, the five permanent veto-wielding council members – the United States, Russia, Britain, China and France – must agree on a candidate.
