1 for 8 Billion has sent an open letter to all UN member states signed by over 160 organisations and over 290 civil society leaders, lawyers, academics, humanitarian workers and UN staffers. It urges them to support only women candidates and ensure a transparent, inclusive process to select the next Secretary-General with meaningful civil society participation.

As the race gets underway to select the UN’s leader for the 2027-2031 term, here are the key rules and conventions to guide the process. This guide was originally published by PassBlue on 18 November 2025. It was written by 1 for 8 Billion’s Ben Donaldson and has been updated to reflect the official start of the race.

Today the Presidents of the General Assembly and Security Council jointly sent a letter to all UN Member States marking the official start of the UN Secretary-General selection process. The letter states that the process will be “guided by the principles of transparency and inclusivity and in a structured and timely manner” while outlining key rules for the selection.

1 for 8 Billion welcomes the beginning of public campaigning for Guterres' successor and praises Chile and Costa Rica for making the early announcement of strong women leaders as  contenders for the role of the next Secretary-General.

During UNGA High-Level Week—while Heads of State debated the UN’s purpose and future—one point became clear: if the UN is to prove its relevance, it will start with the choice of its next Secretary-General (SG), and with how that choice is made.

On the margins of the United Nations General Assembly, 1 for 8 Billion convened an intimate strategy meeting for civil society partners in New York. The session focused on advocacy, communications and on mobilizing civil society engagement ahead of the upcoming process.

As world leaders gathered in New York for the UN’s annual High Level Week, 1 for 8 Billion held a side event  in partnership with the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP), the Center for Global Affairs, School of Professional Studies, New York University (NYU CGA), the Nobel Women’s Initiative and the Global Movement for the Culture of Peace.