The United Nations is in the middle of a critical leadership transition, and the race to fill its top role is already proving to be anything but simple. General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock described the position as one of the toughest job interviews in the world and the four candidates now in contention are quickly finding out just how accurate that description is.
Michelle Bachelet of Chile, Rafael Grossi of Argentina, Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica, and Macky Sall of Senegal have each sat before U.N. ambassadors to answer pointed questions about how they would handle global peace, poverty, and an institution that many believe is in urgent need of reform.
Who are the 4 candidates?
Bachelet is perhaps the most globally recognized name in the race. A two time former president of Chile and former U.N. human rights chief, she has positioned herself as a leader who believes in getting ahead of crises rather than simply responding to them. She has called for a U.N. that anticipates problems, fosters dialogue, and unites member states before conflict takes hold.
Grossi currently serves as the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency and brings a background rooted in nuclear oversight and global security. He has been candid about the U.N.’s credibility problem, arguing that rising polarization among member states has weakened the organization’s ability to act decisively, and that stronger support from those same members is essential to turning things around.
Grynspan has led the U.N.’s trade and development agency and made waves during her interview by directly challenging the organization’s culture of caution. She argued that the U.N. has grown too risk averse in recent years and that effective leadership means being willing to try, fail, and try again a notably direct stance for a race known for its diplomatic restraint.
Sall brings a different profile to the field. As the former president of Senegal, he is presenting himself as a consensus builder with deep roots in the global south. He has framed his candidacy around restoring trust within a fragmented institution and returning the U.N. to a position of genuine influence on the world stage.
The controversies each candidate is navigating
The race is not without friction. Bachelet has drawn fire from 28 Republican U.S. lawmakers who urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to block her candidacy over her positions on reproductive health. She has pushed back, maintaining that she respects each nation’s right to make its own decisions on such matters.
Sall faces a different set of complications. Traditionally, the secretary general role rotates among global regions, and with the other three candidates all coming from Latin America, his campaign has sparked debate about whether it is Africa’s turn or Latin America’s. He maintains that the U.N. Charter places no regional restriction on who can serve. He has also faced allegations of corruption, which he denies, and his candidacy has drawn both protests and vocal support in different quarters.
How the next leader will be chosen
The decision ultimately rests with the U.N. Security Council, which has 15 member nations, including five with permanent veto power: the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, and France. Once the council makes its recommendation, the full 193 member General Assembly gives its final approval.
Experts who have worked closely with past U.N. leadership have emphasized that the moment calls for someone willing to step into uncomfortable situations and actively push for peace, rather than retreat into institutional caution. Several advocacy organizations, including GWL Voices, have also called for the next secretary-general to be a woman, reflecting broader conversations about representation in the world’s most powerful diplomatic roles.
The selection comes at a time when the U.N. is navigating active conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, and beyond and when faith in multilateral institutions is being tested in ways not seen in decades. Whoever emerges from this race will inherit both a platform with extraordinary reach and a set of challenges that have, so far, resisted easy answers.
