UN Security Council Begins Review of Next Secretary-General Candidates

The United Nations Security Council has moved the contest to succeed Secretary-General António Guterres into its next formal consideration stage, but the outcome remains unresolved.

The Council president’s announced review window ran from July 24 through July 30, 2026. That schedule marked a transition from public candidate presentations and nominations toward private Council consultations and informal tests of support. It did not amount to a final vote, a selection or a recommendation.

No Security Council recommendation or General Assembly appointment has been announced. Guterres’ second term ends on December 31, 2026.

What changed in late July

The late-July timetable moved the succession process beyond public campaigning and into the stage where Council members assess which candidates might attract the support needed for a recommendation.

Four publicly presented candidates took questions from representatives of the U.N.’s 193 member states: former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi of Argentina, U.N. trade chief Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica and former Senegalese President Macky Sall, according to Associated Press reporting.

Uganda also nominated Olara Otunnu on July 24, according to the U.N.’s public selection record and a General Assembly president’s notice. The official candidate page remains the controlling record because nominations, withdrawals and candidate materials can change.

Public presentations give governments an opportunity to question candidates about wars, humanitarian emergencies, development and the future of the United Nations. Council consultations serve a different purpose: they test whether candidates can obtain enough support among the 15 Council members to remain viable.

How the appointment works

Article 97 of the U.N. Charter divides responsibility between the two bodies. The Security Council recommends a candidate, and the General Assembly makes the formal appointment. The Charter does not create a direct public election or an unrestricted Assembly contest among every person nominated.

In practice, the Council narrows the field and normally sends one recommendation to the Assembly. The Assembly then acts on that recommendation rather than choosing freely among all publicly nominated candidates.

The five permanent Council members — the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France — have veto power. A viable recommendation therefore needs sufficient Council support and must avoid being blocked by any one of those members. The veto does not allow one country to appoint the secretary-general alone, but it can stop a recommendation from moving forward.

What straw polls can and cannot show

Informal straw polls allow Council members to test support without conducting the formal recommendation vote. They can indicate whether a candidate is gaining or losing ground, but they are not binding votes and do not appoint anyone.

Straw-poll results and internal negotiations may not be fully public. Unless the United Nations formally confirms a ranking or decision, reported support levels should not be presented as proof that a candidate has won or that the Council has settled on a nominee.

Why the choice matters

The next secretary-general will take office as the U.N. confronts wars, humanitarian crises, pressure on international law and disputes over the institution’s role. The office has limited independent power, but the secretary-general can use diplomatic access, public advocacy and the U.N. system’s coordinating authority to press for cease-fires, aid access and political negotiations.

The secretary-general also oversees a global bureaucracy involved in peacekeeping, emergency relief, human rights, development and international cooperation. The selection will therefore influence the institution’s diplomatic posture, humanitarian coordination, reform agenda and credibility with member states and the public.

What happens next

The next major milestone is a formal Security Council recommendation. The General Assembly would then take up the appointment before Guterres’ term ends on December 31, 2026.

The process has advanced from nominations and public presentations to Council consideration. It has not produced a successor, and the late-July review window should not be mistaken for a final result.

Sources

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