UNITED NATIONS (AP) 鈥� Four candidates the United Nations have spent hours being grilled about their views on issues from restoring global peace to ending escalating poverty 鈥� in what the U.N. General Assembly president called one of the toughest job interviews in the world.
There was no clear victor after Chile鈥檚 Michelle Bachelet, Argentina鈥檚 Rafael Grossi, Costa Rica鈥檚 Rebeca Grynspan and Senegal鈥檚 Macky Sall fielded questions from U.N. ambassadors this past week.
Plus, other candidates could wait until after the initial auditions to jump into the race to succeed U.N. Secretary-General on Jan. 1.
鈥淭his role matters,鈥� said General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock, who presided over the question-and-answer sessions. 鈥淭he secretary-general is not only the head of the U.N. and the world鈥檚 top diplomat 鈥� she or he also represents all 8 billion of us, defending the U.N. Charter and leading on peace, development, human rights.鈥�
How the candidates view the UN’s work
All four said they would focus on those three pillars of the U.N., especially its of ensuring international peace and security and preventing conflicts 鈥� which it has not been able to do in Iran, Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan and other global hot spots because of wide divisions. They also pledged to spur reforms to the more than .
Bachelet, 74, a two-time president of Chile and former U.N. human rights chief, told the ambassadors that the U.N. must try to avoid crises and that she has the right leadership skills.
鈥淚 stand before you to reclaim the urgent need for dialogue,鈥� she said, stressing that the U.N. must anticipate, prevent and unite. The next secretary-general also needs to be 鈥減hysically present in the field鈥� to help tackle problems, she said.
Grossi, 65, a former Argentine diplomat who has been director-general of since 2019, said that with the world so polarized, 鈥渢here are enormous, huge doubts about our institution鈥� in solving global problems.
Unless the U.N. has effective leadership and support from all countries, it won鈥檛 regain a key place at the table, he said, 鈥渟o we have to concentrate on that.鈥� He also said the next U.N. chief must visit global hot spots.
, 65, a former Costa Rican vice president who has been secretary-general of the U.N. trade and development agency since 2021, said she knows how to stand up for principles while under pressure. As secretary-general, she said she would 鈥渃ontinue to be the moral voice and the impartial voice that the secretary-general has to be.鈥�
The U.N. has become 鈥渁 risk-conservative organization,鈥� she warned. 鈥淲e need to take more risks 鈥� and I am ready to fail and try again.鈥�
Sall, 64, who was for 12 years, said the U.N. needs to 鈥渞egain its place at the global table.鈥�
If chosen, he said he would be 鈥渁 bridge-builder鈥� and that his first priority would be 鈥渢o contribute to restoring trust, to calm tensions, reduce fragmentation and breathe renewed hope into our collective action.鈥�
Some candidates are facing pushback
Bachelet, a medical doctor, responded to a letter from 28 Republican U.S. lawmakers calling her a 鈥減ro-abortion zealot鈥� and asking Secretary of State Marco Rubio to veto her, saying the issue is controversial and that she respects every country’s right to decide.
She called herself a strong believer in women’s rights to decide on their own lives and how many children to have. As secretary-general, she said she would do whatever is necessary to advance agreements by U.N. member nations, including on promoting gender equality.
By tradition, the job of secretary-general rotates by region, and this year it is Latin America鈥檚 turn. Sall, the only candidate from outside the region, said the U.N. Charter doesn’t bar any candidates.
He noted that after a leader from the global north 鈥� Guterres is Portuguese 鈥� the next U.N. chief should be from the global south. Sall was also the only candidate to spark demonstrations outside U.N. headquarters 鈥� both for and against his quest to be secretary-general. Sall has been accused of corruption, which he denies.
What comes next in the race to lead the UN
The four candidates 鈥渢ried to walk a political tightrope,鈥� said Daniel Forti, the International Crisis Group鈥檚 head of U.N. affairs.
鈥淚t is not immediately obvious whether any candidate did enough to propel themselves ahead of the others, or to ward off potential challengers who might emerge later,鈥� he said.
The selection will be left to the 15-nation U.N. Security Council, especially its five veto-wielding members 鈥� the United States, Russia, China, United Kingdom and France 鈥� that remain tight-lipped. The 193-member General Assembly must give final approval.
Minh-Thu Pham, an adviser to former U.N. chief Kofi Annan and CEO of the Starling Institute think tank, said there is a widespread desire for a secretary-general who is willing to take risks and be more active in promoting peace. The U.N. isn鈥檛 part of the conversation on major crises 鈥渂ecause it hasn’t had the courage to take risks.鈥�
Susana Malcorra, a former Argentine foreign minister and senior U.N. official who was a candidate for secretary-general in 2016, said the United Nations 鈥渕ore than ever鈥� needs new leadership and energy.
The global advocacy group she leads, GWL Voices, has been campaigning for the next U.N. chief to be a woman.
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