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.