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. Key elements include:
The position of Secretary-General is one of great importance and one that requires the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity and a firm commitment to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations.
We invite candidates to be presented who have proven leadership and managerial abilities, extensive experience in international relations and strong diplomatic, communication and multilingual skills.
Member States are encouraged to strongly consider nominating women as candidates.
We note the importance of regional diversity in the selection of Secretaries-General.
Candidates should be nominated by one Member State or by a group of Member States, and each Member State may nominate only one candidate, individually or jointly with other Member States
The Presidents of the Assembly and of the Council will jointly circulate to all Member States, on an ongoing basis, the names of individuals who have been submitted for consideration
Candidates should provide a vision statement and disclose the sources of funding at the time of the nomination
Candidates holding positions in the United Nations system should consider suspending their work in the United Nations system during the campaign with a view to avoiding any conflict of interest that may arise from their functions and adjacent advantages
The President of the General Assembly and the President of the Security Council will jointly maintain and regularly update a public list of candidates, including the name, nominating State(s), vision statement, curriculum vitae and campaign financing disclosures, published on a dedicated United Nations webpage.
The President of the General Assembly and the President of the Security Council will offer candidates opportunities for informal dialogues or meetings with members of their respective bodies, including webcast interactive dialogues in the General Assembly
The informal dialogues or meetings can be held before the Council begins its selection by the end of July 2026 and may continue throughout the process of selection
A nominating Member State may withdraw a candidate at any time during the process. The President of the General Assembly and the President of the Security Council should be notified of the withdrawal of the candidate and the candidate should be considered automatically withdrawn. If a candidate is withdrawn, the nominating Member State may subsequently nominate another candidate
Early presentation of candidates will help the organization of informal interactive dialogues in the General Assembly and the deliberations of the Security Council; nonetheless, that should not preclude others making themselves known throughout the process, as appropriate.
The Council plans to make its recommendation to the General Assembly in a timely manner so that the appointment by the Assembly allows the newly appointed Secretary-General sufficient time to prepare for the job
Shortly after the letter was sent, the President of the General Assembly, Ms. Annalena Baerbock, released a follow-up statement which elaborated on her approach to the selection process.