1 for 8 Billion has campaigned for financial transparency and declarations of conflicts of interest in the Secretary-General selection process since launching in 2014. This briefing looks at the rules around campaign financing and disclosures by candidates in the 2026 race.

On 25 March, the Maldives withdrew its nomination of Virginia Gamba as a candidate for UN Secretary-General. The Maldives had nominated Gamba just two weeks earlier on 12 March.

Yesterday Chile announced that it is withdrawing its support for Secretary-General candidate Michelle Bachelet, a candidate Chile nominated together with Brazil and Mexico on 2 February. Bachelet’s candidacy remains intact since her nomination retains the support of two nominating states. 

This briefing shines a spotlight on the dynamics around nominations for Secretary-General, how the mechanism has evolved over time and suggestions for further improvement. It is part of a briefing series on the key dimensions of the process.

1 for 8 Billion is delighted to welcome Aditi Gorur as its new Campaign Coordinator. Aditi brings more than 15 years of experience working on UN reform and multilateral peace and security.

This article, originally published by Southern Voice, examines the UN Secretary-General selection process against the backdrop of the current crisis of multilateral leadership and reflects the authors’ joint analysis at the time of publication.

Women leaders from all regions and backgrounds gathered in Madrid this week to advocate for a gender-equal international system and to mobilise for the appointment of the UN’s first woman Secretary-General. 

On 26 January, 1 for 8 Billion briefed UK Parliamentarians on the upcoming Secretary-General selection process at a meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on the United Nations.

The President of the General Assembly has announced that she will hold hearings for candidates during the week beginning 20 April 2026.

1 for 8 Billion has put together a comprehensive set of resources on the formal qualifications and person specification for the role of Secretary-General, and recommendations for the structuring and assessment of vision statements and candidate hearings. 

On 15 December, during the Security Council’s open debate on “Leadership for Peace” states discussed the competencies and skills required for the next leader of the United Nations while outlining proposals to make the current selection process more inclusive and transparent.

1 for 8 Billion has sent an open letter to all UN member states signed by over 200 organisations and over 300 civil society leaders, lawyers, academics, humanitarian workers and UN staffers.

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.

1 for 8 Billion will be holding events with civil society and diplomats during the high-level week of the UN General Assembly as world leaders gather at the UN in New York.

Today the UN General Assembly adopted a significant resolution which shapes the rules of the process to appoint the next UN Secretary-General. Read 1 for 8 Billion’s snap reaction below outlining the top three reforms that states managed to find agreement on.