UN launches process to elect new secretary-general

The letter, published by UN Security Council’s current president Sierra-Leone, says that it "serves to begin soliciting candidates for the position while also setting out the modalities for submitting and considering nominations."

It encourages member states to "strongly consider nominating women candidates," because so far there have been no female UN secretaries-general.

It also notes "the importance of regional diversity in the selection of Secretaries-General."

Candidates to the post are nominated by member states, and each country can nominate only one contender. For the nomination, countries are to send relevant letters to the chairs of the Security Council and the General Assembly. In turn, candidates are to present their vision of the organization’s development, and declare their sources of income. If a candidate is working at a UN body, he is to suspend his duties for the period of election to avoid conflict of interest.

The election itself is expected to take place in late July 2026.

The term of the current head of the global organization, Antonio Guterres, ends on December 31, 2026. Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has formally declared his candidacy for the next UN Secretary-General.

The UN secretary-general is elected by the UN Security Council and approved by the General Assembly for a five-year term with a possibility of re-election. The number of terms is not limited, but the longest-serving secretaries served for ten years. In accordance with the existing practice, a secretary-general should not come from the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - Russia, the United Kingdom, China, the United States and France.

As stated previously, President Tokayev calls for UN reform amid global instability.