Share
Candidates set out their pitches to lead the United Nations in Geneva on Tuesday 9 June, in the first globally televised debate of the selection process.
Michelle Bachelet, María Fernanda Espinosa, and Rebeca Grynspan addressed a 500-strong audience of dignitaries, students, civil society and media at Maison de la Paix, while Macky Sall made a video intervention. A fifth candidate, Rafael Grossi, was unable to participate.
At a time when multilateralism is under pressure, the event organised by GWL Voices and the UN Foundation focused on the type of leadership the UN needs to address today’s challenges and how the next Secretary-General can make the UN relevant and effective. Members of the audience asked the candidates about their approach to the state of multilateralism, leadership and the future of the UN, peace and security, development, climate change, human rights, and technology, including AI.
Moderated by veteran journalist and broadcaster Zeinab Badawi, the event offered an insight into the candidates’ visions, leadership styles and priorities for the role.
“I firmly believe that all citizens of the world really should care about who the next Secretary-General of the UN is,” said Badawi. “The UN touches everything we do.”
The 15 members of the UN Security Council will choose their preferred Secretary-General candidate in a series of secret ballots starting next month, to be put to the UN General Assembly for approval. The next Secretary-General is expected to take office on 1 January, 2027.
All candidates are expected to join the Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity later this month, in a dialogue co-hosted by the Jeju Peace Institute and Ban Ki-moon Foundation, together with GWL Voices and the UN Foundation.
Biographies, vision statements and nomination letters for the candidates can be found on the UN website, along with recordings of interactive dialogues held at the UN General Assembly in New York.
The full event, as well as clips and a highlights package, is available on the NewsDirect platform for download in different formats. Registration for the platform is free. For more information on how to access NewsDirect, please visit the event’s webpage or contact the News Events team directly: newsevents@eurovision.net
About GWL Voices
GWL Voices is an organization comprising nearly 80 global women leaders from all regions and trajectories, committed to building an international system that advances gender equality and responds effectively to current challenges in sustainable development, peace, security, and human rights.
The organization was founded by Susana Malcorra, Helen Clark, and Irina Bokova, candidates for the United Nations Secretary-General in 2016.
About the UN Foundation
The United Nations Foundation has built novel innovations and partnerships to support the United Nations and help solve global problems at scale for over 25 years. As an independent charitable organization, the Foundation was created to work closely with the United Nations to address humanity’s greatest challenges and drive global progress.