The Security Council is laying the groundwork for the race for the next Secretary General

Governments will soon submit letters nominating candidates to lead the 80-year-old organization, whose top position is traditionally rotated between geographic regions — although all U.N. chiefs until now have been men.

The Secretary-General is appointed by the General Assembly, the most representative body of the UN, on the recommendation of the fifteen members of the Council.

A ‘significant’ responsibility

“As the year draws to a close, the Council is approaching one of its most important responsibilities, namely the selection process of the next Secretary General,” said Danish Ambassador Christina Markus Lassen, co-chair of the informal working group on documentation and other procedural issues.

“In the coming months, the Council will discuss how it votes, how it interacts with candidates, how it informs the broader membership of its progress and its results.”

Russia held the rotating presidency of the Council in October and Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya said the country “immediately began working towards reaching an agreement” on the joint letter of invitation with the General Assembly inviting countries to nominate their candidates.

“We trust that the document will be adopted shortly so that this important process can formally begin,” he said.

“We trust that the efforts of the Security Council will help facilitate the selection of the most worthy candidate for the future Head of the Secretariat.”

A female leader

The next UN secretary general will serve a five-year term in January 2027, after current chief António Guterres of Portugal leaves office.

Since no woman has ever held this position, the representative of Chile spoke in favor of “an open, participatory and gender-inclusive process.”

“After 80 years, the time has come for a woman to lead this organization; a woman whose leadership and vision can give the multilateral system the credibility it needs to respond to the challenges of our time,” he said.

“The principle of regional rotation must also be respected, and it is the turn of the Latin America and Caribbean region to lead this function,” he added.

Productive meetings are important

More than 40 countries took part in the debate on the Council’s working methods, known as Note 507, which was adopted last December.

The way meetings are run has become increasingly important over the past year, given the pressing crises on the agenda, said Loraine Sievers, former head of the office that supports the council’s day-to-day work.

“Of course, people are mainly focusing on the statements made here and the vote on draft resolutions,” she said.

“But even as Council members and non-member participants demonstrate widely divergent views, the Security Council and the UN itself can gain or lose credibility depending on how orderly and professionally the Council meetings are conducted.”