The letter, released by the current President of Sierra Leone on the UN Security Council, says it “serves to initiate the recruitment of candidates for the position, as well as setting out the manner in which nominations will be submitted and considered.”
To date, there has been no female UN Secretary-General, so it encouraged member states to “strongly consider nominating a female candidate”.
It also notes “the importance of regional diversity in the selection of the Secretary-General.”
Candidates for this post are nominated by Member States, and each country may nominate only one candidate. For nominations, countries are to send relevant letters to the Security Council and the President of the General Assembly. Next, candidates must present their vision for the development of the organization and declare their sources of income. If candidates work for UN agencies, they are required to suspend their work during the election period to avoid conflicts of interest.
The election itself is scheduled to be held in late July 2026.
The term of Antonio Guterres, the current head of the international organization, ends on December 31, 2026. Rafael Grossi, Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has officially declared his candidacy to become the next Secretary-General of the United Nations.
The Secretary-General of the United Nations is elected by the United Nations Security Council and confirmed by the General Assembly for a five-year term with the possibility of re-election. There is no term limit, but the longest-serving secretary served for 10 years. According to existing convention, the Secretary-General should not be chosen from among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (Russia, the United Kingdom, China, the United States, and France).
MNA