United Nations, Apr. 9 (DPnet).– As of early April 2026, four candidates have been formally nominated to succeed António Guterres as the next UN Secretary-General, starting in 2027.
The candidates include former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, IAEA Chief Rafael Grossi, former Costa Rican Vice President Rebeca Grynspan, and former Senegalese President Macky Sall. Three of them are from Latin America and the Caribbean region in line with the customary practice of rotating the position among geographical regions. Two of the officially nominated candidates are women. The General Assembly president and others are calling for more women to be nominated, as there has never been a female Secretary-General.
Formally Nominated Candidates
Michelle Bachelet: Former President of Chile and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Michelle Bachelet (Chile). Nominated: 2 February 2026 by Chile, but her country withdrew its support on 24 March. Subsequently, Lula's Brazil and Sheinbaum's Mexico supported her. Bachelet herself issued a public statement declaring that she “will continue to work closely with the governments of Brazil and Mexico”.
Rafael Grossi (Argentina): Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). He is not considering to leave his IAEA post until he is confirmed as a candidate. His present responsibilities has kept him front and center of global attention during the Israeli/United States war against Iran. He is a career diplomat, former Argentine ambassador to Austria, Slovenia,l Slovakia, and International Organisations based in Vienna (2013–2019).
Nominated: 26 November 2025 by Argentina.
Rebeca Grynspan: Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and former Vice President of Costa Rica. She is an economist and she is seeking to claim the moral high ground with her decision to step away as head of UMNCTAD to avoid any possible conflicting interests.
Nominated: 3 March 2026 by Costa Rica.
Macky Sall (Senegal): Former President (2012-2024) and former Prime Minister (2004-2007) of Senegal, and former President of the African Union (2022-2023). He is a civil engineeer.
Nominated: 2 March 2026 by Burundi.
Other candidates may still be nominated, such as Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garcés (Ecuador) who is a former president of the UN General Assembly; and also Mia Mottley (Barbados), who is the Prime Minister of Barbados since 2018.
However, the decision regarding these two prospective candidates is made by the states. Candidates cannot be considered for the position without being nominated by at least one member state.
The nominated candidates will take part in interactive dialogues in the week beginning April 20. The permanent members of the Security Council have considerable influence in choosing a new Secretary-General. The ultimate endorsement by the 15 members of the Security Council's is necessary before the General Assembly appoints a new UN chief around the fall of this year.
Key Details in a nutshell
Background: The candidates represent a mix of experience, with three from Latin America/Caribbean, consistent with regional rotation, and two are women.
Process: The UN General Assembly President called for nominations, with public interactive dialogues scheduled to begin April 20.
Selection: The Security Council will begin private deliberations and straw polls to recommend candidates, with the final appointment taking place later in 2026.
Context: Guterres is finishing his second five-year term, which ends December 31, 2026.
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