The race to choose the tenth Secretary-General of the United Nations is under way, with 11 candidates having entered the contest for the organisation's highest office. The successful candidate will take over in January 2027, when the second and final term of current Secretary-General António Guterres comes to an end.

Announcing the latest developments, the United Nations in India stated on X: "The tenth Secretary-General of the United Nations will take office in January 2027. Feridun Hadi Sinirlioğlu of Türkiye is now the eighth candidate in the running for the role. Learn more about the candidates and the selection process."

A total of 11 nominations have been submitted so far, although several candidates have since withdrawn. The list includes Ivonne A-Baki, María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, Rafael Mariano Grossi, Rebeca Grynspan Mayufis, Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, Olara Otunnu, Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett and Feridun Hadi Sinirlioğlu, alongside former candidates Michelle Bachelet Jeria, Virginia Gamba and Macky Sall, whose candidatures were later withdrawn.

The selection process is governed by Article 97 of the UN Charter and General Assembly Resolution 79/327, adopted on 5 September 2025. The resolution builds on earlier reforms aimed at making the appointment process more transparent, inclusive and accountable.

Under the current system, the process begins with a joint letter from the President of the UN General Assembly and the President of the UN Security Council inviting member states to nominate candidates. Nominees are required to submit a vision statement, curriculum vitae and campaign financing disclosures.

The President of the General Assembly then organises webcast interactive dialogues, allowing candidates to present their priorities and answer questions from member states and civil society representatives. These public exchanges were introduced as part of broader efforts to increase transparency in the selection process.

The current contest formally began on 25 November 2025, when a joint letter from the Presidents of the General Assembly and Security Council invited nominations from member states and outlined the principles and timetable for the race.

Throughout the process, the Presidents of the General Assembly and Security Council jointly notify member states of new nominations and maintain a publicly available list of candidates, together with their vision statements, biographies and campaign financing disclosures.

The Security Council is now considering the candidates through a series of private informal straw polls before recommending a preferred candidate to the General Assembly. The General Assembly can appoint a Secretary-General only after receiving a recommendation from the Security Council.

The contest has attracted particular attention because it will determine the successor to António Guterres, who has led the United Nations since January 2017 and is completing the maximum two terms permitted for the office.

Several observers have noted that, under the UN's long-standing but unwritten practice of regional rotation, a candidate from the Latin American and Caribbean region is widely regarded as having a strong chance in the current race. A number of leading candidates, including Rafael Grossi, Rebeca Grynspan, María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés and Ivonne A-Baki, come from that regional grouping.

The office of Secretary-General has previously been held by Trygve Lie, Dag Hammarskjöld, U Thant, Kurt Waldheim, Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Kofi Annan, Ban Ki-moon and António Guterres.

As the selection process moves into its decisive stage, member states will continue consultations ahead of the Security Council's recommendation, with the next UN chief expected to assume office on 1 January 2027.

ANI