By Simon Lewis

The United Nations logo is seen on a window in an empty hallway at United Nations headquarters during the 75th annual U.N. General Assembly high-level debate, in New York, U.S., September 21, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Segar Purchase Licensing Rights , opens new tab

Nov 25 (Reuters) – 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.

“Noting with regret that no woman has ever held the position of Secretary-General, and convinced of the need to guarantee equal opportunities for women and men in gaining access to senior decision-making positions, member states are encourgaged to strongly consider nominating women as candidates,” they wrote. “We note the importance of regional diversity in the selection of Secretaries-General.”

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.

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab

Suggested Topics:

Read Next

ago Europe category

ago United States category

ago Europe category

ago Europe category

ago World category

ago Americas category

The bodies of two climbers, including one from the U.S., have been recovered after the pair fell to their deaths from New Zealand’s highest mountain during a summit attempt, police said on Wednesday.

Site Index

About Reuters

Stay Informed

Information you can trust

Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the world’s largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day. Reuters provides business, financial, national and international news to professionals via desktop terminals, the world’s media organizations, industry events and directly to consumers.

Read More