The process of appointing and selecting the next Secretary-General is based on General Assembly resolutions and will be guided by the principles of transparency and inclusivity.
On 5 September 2025 the General Assembly adopted resolution 79/327 on the Revitalization of the work of the General Assembly, which sets out the process for the selection and appointment in line with Article 97 of the Charter of the United Nations.
Resolution 79/327 builds on previous related resolutions, which introduced significant improvements to the selection and appointment process of the Secretary-General.
Within the process:
A joint letter of the President of the General Assembly and the President of the Security Council initiates the process.
Candidates are nominated by a Member State or groups of Member States and provide a vision statement, curriculum vitae and campaign financing disclosures.
The President of the General Assembly convenes webcast interactive dialogues with all candidates.
The President of the General Assembly engages closely, in a transparent and inclusive manner, with Member States.Initiation of the processA joint letter of the President of the General Assembly and the President of the Security Council addressed to Member States, published on 25 November 2025, formally initiated the selection process.
The joint letter, also published as A/80/544-S/2025/765, invites nominations from Member States and outlines the principles of the selection process and notional events.
Nomination of candidates for the position of Secretary-General
The President of the General Assembly and the President of the Security Council jointly inform Member States as candidatures are being submitted. They maintain and regularly update a public list of candidates, including the name, nominating State(s), vision statement, curriculum vitae and campaign financing disclosures.
The joint letters from the President of the General Assembly and the President of the Security Council serve to jointly inform Member States and forward the original communications received from Member States having nominated candidates.
The following nominations have been received, displayed in alphabetical order.
Michelle Bachelet Jeria (nominated 2 February 2026)
Joint letter regarding the nomination of Michelle Bachelet Jeria (in English, French and Spanish) by Chile, Brazil, and Mexico on 2 February 2026 [A/80/616-S/2026/56]
Virginia Gamba (nominated 11 March 2026; withdrawn 25 March 2026)
Joint letter regarding the nomination of Virginia Gamba by the Maldives on 11 March 2026 [A/80/671-S/2026/168]
Rafael Mariano Grossi (nominated 26 November 2025)
Joint letter regarding the nomination of Rafael Mariano Grossi (in English and Spanish) by Argentina on 26 November 2025 [A/80/549-S/2025/775]
Rebeca Grynspan Mayufis (nominated 3 March 2026)
Joint letter regarding the nomination of Rebeca Grynspan Mayufis (in English and Spanish) by Costa Rica on 3 March 2026 [A/80/666-S/2026/124]
Macky Sall (nominated 2 March 2026)
Joint letter regarding the nomination of Macky Sall (in English and French) by Burundi on 2 March 2026 [A/80/662 - S/2026/123]
Webcast Interactive Dialogues with Candidates in the General AssemblyIn accordance with General Assembly resolution 79/327, the President of the General Assembly will convene webcast interactive dialogues with all candidates for the position of Secretary-General.
Letter from the President of the General Assembly announcing dates for webcast interactive dialogues (14 January 2026)Letter from the President of the General Assembly on the modalities for webcast interactive dialogues with candidates for the position of Secretary-General (4 March 2026)
Letter from the President of the General Assembly on the timetable of the interactive dialogues with candidates for the position of Secretary-General (2 April 2026)
Letter from the President of the General Assembly with additional information on the interactive dialogues with candidates for the position of Secretary-General (15 April 2026)On 21 and 22 April 2026 interactive dialogues will be held with the nominated candidates and broadcast live on UN WebTV.
Michelle Bachelet Jeria – 21 April, 10 a.m. (EDT)
Rafael Mariano Grossi – 21 April, 3 p.m. (EDT)
Rebeca Grynspan Mayufis – 22 April, 10 a.m. (EDT)
Macky Sall – 22 April, 3 p.m (EDT)