Fifteen diplomats are expected to announce the United Nations' next secretary-general in the coming weeks from the UN headquarters in New York. The chosen individual will face significant challenges, including ongoing wars involving permanent Security Council members the US and Russia, and the climate crisis.
A UN commission of inquiry has accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, while the UN's role has reportedly been reduced by Donald Trump's Board of Peace. The organisation is also grappling with a financial crisis, with current Secretary-General António Guterres warning of "imminent financial collapse" due to unpaid dues, much of which are owed by the US.
The selection process for the new secretary-general is considered highly consequential. Discussions about potential candidates are expected to be prominent during the UN General Assembly this week and next. The five permanent members of the Security Council—the US, UK, France, Russia, and China—each hold veto power over the appointment.
Three informal straw polls have been conducted, but no frontrunner has emerged. Opposition to the two leading candidates reportedly increased in the most recent vote. The UK team at the UN is said to be unimpressed with the current candidates and has not voted in favour of anyone in the initial straw polls, with both the UK and France hoping another candidate will emerge.