Candidates and speculation

The next Secretary-General is due to take office on 1 January 2027 with the selection process expected to begin in late 2025.

This page is intended to increase the transparency of the process for selecting the UN Secretary-General and to promote healthy debate on the characteristics and priorities that the next UN leader should hold. The 1 for 8 Billion campaign is focused on process and does not take a position on candidates, publicly or otherwise.

Please note, this page does not represent an official or definitive list of candidates for the position of UN Secretary-General and should be considered for information purposes only. Whilst we review this page regularly, we are unable to guarantee that the information is accurate and up to date.

Names on this page are listed in alphabetical order and the methodology is available below.

Rumoured potential candidates

The following comprises a list of individuals that have been named as potential candidates in the press. It has been collated objectively using online news articles. Those listed should not be considered as potential candidates beyond the realms of speculation and hearsay. See below for full methodology.

Jacinda Ardern

**Country:** New Zealand
**Role:** Former Prime Minister of New Zealand
**Source:** IPS News
*Photo: UN Photo/Cia Pak*

Michelle Bachelet

**Country:** Chile
**Role:** Former President of Chile, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
**Source:** IPS News
*Photo: UN Photo/Jean Marc Ferré*

Alicia Bárcena

**Country:** Mexico
**Role:** Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico
**Source:** CNN
*Photo: UN Photo/Manuel Elías*

Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garcés

**Country:** Ecuador
**Role:** Former president of the UN General Assembly
**Source:** CNN
*Photo: UN Photo/Cia Pak*

Kristalina Georgieva

**Country:** Bulgaria
**Role:** Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund
**Source:** IPS News
*Photo: UN Photo/Loey Felipe*

Rafael Grossi

**Country:** Argentina
**Role:** Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency
**Source:** CNN
*Photo: UN Photo/Manuel Elías*

Rebeca Grynspan

**Country:** Costa Rica
**Role:** Secretary-general of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and former vice president of Costa Rica
**Source:** CNN
*Photo: UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe*

Amina Mohammed

**Country:** Nigeria / United Kingdom
**Role:** Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations
**Source:** IPS News
*Photo: UN Photo/Loey Felipe*

Mia Mottley

**Country:** Barbados
**Role:** Prime Minister of Barbados
**Source:** CNN
*Photo: UN Photo/Cia Pak*

Juan Manuel Santos

**Country:** Colombia
**Role:** Former President of Colombia
**Source:** IPS News
*Photo: UN Photo/Rick Bajornas*

Achim Steiner

**Country:** Brazil / Germany
**Role:** Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme
**Source:** IPS News
*Photo: UN Photo/Rick Bajornas*

Methodology

The individuals above have been listed because they satisfied the criteria for one of the following categories. In all instances we have provided a rationale and a link to relevant public statements to enable the reader to make an informed opinion on the likelihood of their candidacy.

While 1 for 8 Billion is committed to increasing civil society engagement with the process for the selection of Secretary-General, the decision is ultimately made by states. Candidates currently cannot be considered for the position without being nominated by at least one member state and cannot prevail in the process without the recommendation of the Security Council and the subsequent approval of the General Assembly. For this reason listing of prospective candidates always has a dual emphasis on the possibility of the individual running and the likelihood of them receiving state backing.

The list is compiled using a combination of proactive searching of major news outlets in different regions, news alerts and social media monitoring. Where possible we will include source material from non-English publications, however, due to language, capacity and accessibility constraints we will not be able to exhaustively monitor publications in all languages. If we’ve missed something please get in touch by emailing ben@1for8billion.org.

Official candidate: has been announced as a candidate by the Presidents of the UN General Assembly and Security Council. A list of withdrawn candidates will also be maintained comprising former official candidates who have announced their withdrawal from the process.

Likely candidate: either a UN member state has made a public statement that it will nominate the candidate or both the following are true:

There is a strong likelihood of the candidate running, as indicated by
- A public statement to that effect by the candidate themselves
- A news story in a credible media publication suggesting they will run
There is a strong likelihood that that candidate will receive the nomination of at least one UN member state, as indicated by

A public statement to that effect by at least one member state
A news story in a credible media publication suggesting a state is willing to support them
A social media post from a credible UN expert suggesting a state is willing to support them
Credible information from one of the campaign’s advisors suggesting a state is willing to support them

Rumoured potential candidate: there is a possibility of the candidate running and receiving state backing, as indicated by a news story / comment in a credible media publication or a from a credible UN commentator alongside the individual’s record in high office indicating that the candidate has a realistic chance of receiving state backing
Ruled out: former potential candidates who have made a public statement that they do not intend to run

As the selection of the Secretary-General draws nearer the campaign’s focus will narrow to official and likely candidates.