Four Contenders Pledge Sweeping UN Reforms as Race Intensifies to Replace Guterres
Candidates vying to lead the United Nations committed Wednesday to comprehensive organizational reforms aimed at restoring credibility and reasserting the body's relevance on the global stage. The four hopefuls presented their visions during extensive hearings before member states and civil society representatives, each emphasizing their commitment to revitalizing an institution whose influence has noticeably waned in recent years.
The race to succeed Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, whose term concludes at year's end, comes as the 193-member organization faces mounting pressure to reduce expenditures and demonstrate its continued necessity in addressing global challenges. The winning candidate will assume a five-year renewable mandate beginning in 2027.
Reform Emerges as Central Campaign Theme
Former Costa Rican Vice President Rebeca Grynspan, 70, centered her Wednesday presentation on peacemaking as her primary agenda, while emphasizing the urgent need to rebuild eroding confidence in the institution. Currently leading the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Grynspan, whose parents fled Europe following World War Two, stressed that meaningful change is essential to preserve the organization's future.
"To defend the United Nations today is to have the courage to change it," she declared during her hearing.
Former Senegalese President Macky Sall, 64, who governed his country for twelve years before stepping down in 2024, advocated for disciplined operational management to enhance coordination among UN agencies and eliminate wasteful overlap. He framed the challenge as an opportunity to achieve greater impact with constrained resources.
"Now is the time to do better with less," Sall stated, envisioning "a revitalized organization that is able to see that its brightest days are ahead of it."
Historic Opportunity for Female Leadership
Chile's former president Michelle Bachelet, 74, is among the contenders seeking to become the first woman to lead the UN since its establishment eighty years ago. During Tuesday's hearing, Bachelet underscored her commitment to advancing women's rights—a stance that has drawn opposition from certain conservative lawmakers in the United States, who have suggested Washington might block her candidacy due to her advocacy for abortion access.
Competing alongside these three is Argentina's Rafael Grossi, a 65-year-old diplomatic veteran who has directed the International Atomic Energy Agency for six years. Grossi characterized current UN reform efforts as progress in the right direction while cautioning that significantly more work remains necessary.
Selection Process and Regional Considerations
The current applicant pool is considerably smaller than the 2016 succession, when thirteen candidates competed for the position ultimately won by Guterres. However, additional candidates may yet enter the process in coming months.
Traditionally, the role has rotated among geographic regions, with Latin America designated as next in line. Sall, however, noted to journalists that no reference to such rotation exists within the UN Charter. Established convention stipulates that the secretary-general should not originate from among the five permanent Security Council members—Britain, China, France, Russia, and the United States—to prevent excessive power concentration, though these major powers' support remains instrumental throughout the protracted selection procedure.