Who’s The Next UN Secretary-General?

RRI.CO.ID. Jakarta - Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, is completing his second term at the end of the year, and the race to succeed him is already underway. Public hearings begin today in New York and will take place over two days.

Each candidate will face questions for three hours from the 193 member states and representatives of civil society. The four declared candidates so far—two leading candidates and two outsiders—each have the ambition to reform a structure that appears to be in need of revitalization.

This is only the second time the UN has held this "final hearing," created in 2016 to promote greater transparency. Many states are advocating for a woman to lead the UN for the first time, and Latin America is seeking the position based on a tradition of geographical rotation, which is not always respected. But it is the members of the Security Council—in effect, the five permanent members with their veto power (United States, China, Russia, United Kingdom, France)—who truly hold the candidates' futures in their hands.

The next Secretary-General must be aligned with "American values and interests," US Ambassador Mike Waltz warned. The four official candidates to date to take the helm of the UN on 1 January 2027, all emphasize the need to rebuild trust in an organization that has been battered and is facing financial crisis.

Two women, two men. The first in the running is Michelle Bachelet. The former president of Chile can already boast extensive experience within the organization: she was the first executive director of UN Women from 2010 to 2013, and then UN High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2018 to 2022. Her network is considerable, as is her mastery of diplomatic protocol.

But for the position, this is both an advantage and a disadvantage. Her time at the head of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights earned her some resentment. China strongly criticized her publication of a critical report on the plight of the Uyghur minority and could veto her nomination. Her candidacy is supported by Mexico and Brazil. Her country, Chile, withdrew its support after the inauguration of the new far-right president, José Antonio Kast.

Next in the list is the Argentinian, Rafael Grossi. He is the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). A prominent voice on the Iranian nuclear issue, he also distinguished himself during the war between Russia and Ukraine regarding security concerns surrounding the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. At 65, he still has considerable drive for reform. "The United Nations has lost its raison d'être," he laments, arguing that the institution has become "ineffective" in numerous conflicts.

The second woman in the running, Rebecca Grynspan, makes it clear: she has extensive experience in crises, including financial ones. The 70-year-old Costa Rican economist has headed the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) since 2021.

She previously served as Minister of Finance and then Vice President of her country. Drawing on her personal history, with Jewish parents who "barely survived" the Holocaust before immigrating to Costa Rica, she emphasizes her commitment to the UN Charter, founded on the ashes of World War II: "a constant warning against the dangers of dehumanization, mistrust, and fragmentation."

Finally, Macky Sall, 64, will be the last to be interviewed. He is the only candidate from outside the UN. In terms of experience, the former Senegalese president held the rotating presidency of the African Union during his term.

He claims of contacts with the leaders of the five permanent members of the Security Council. But he does not have unanimous support within the African continent. He is not backed by the AU, nor by his own country.

Source : RFI