The five permanent members of the UN Security Council hold decisive influence over who leads the global organisation.
Four contenders are competing to succeed António Guterres as Secretary-General of the United Nations, as the organisation grapples with unprecedented global instability, ongoing wars, and a severe budget crisis.
Chile’s Michelle Bachelet, Argentina’s Rafael Grossi, Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan, and Senegal’s Macky Sall will each face three-hour questioning sessions from 193 member states and NGOs on Tuesday and Wednesday.
It is only the second time the UN has held a public Q&A session, a format introduced in 2016 to improve transparency.
Ultimately, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council hold decisive power, including veto authority over who becomes the next Secretary-General.
US President Donald Trump’s envoy to the UN in Manhattan, Mike Waltz, has warned that the next leader must align with “American values and interests,” adding that Washington would support the best candidate rather than necessarily a Latin American woman, as some countries have advocated.
All four candidates vying to lead the embattled UN when António Guterres steps down on December 31, 2026, have pledged to rebuild trust in the deeply divided organisation, which also faces a severe financial crisis amid Washington’s refusal to pay its dues.
Michelle Bachelet
Chilean socialist Michelle Bachelet, who was tortured under Augusto Pinochet’s regime, became Chile’s first female president in 2006.
