1 for 8 Billion Global South campaign partners have published comparative research analysing the institutional and systemic conditions facing the next UN Secretary-General selection. 

Antigua and Barbuda has nominated Ms. Espinosa of Ecuador as a candidate to be the next UN Secretary-General.

A useful route for a member state to indicate support for a candidate is by adding its backing as a ‘co-nominator’ for their preferred candidate. This option has the advantage over straw polls in that it could be led organically by member states and would be formally recorded on the candidate page of the UN’s website.

Following last month’s candidate hearings in the General Assembly, and ahead of the Security Council’s deliberations on candidates expected to begin in July, there is a window of opportunity for the General Assembly to express its views on candidates. This explainer outlines three options.

1 for 8 Billion is at the UN to follow the interactive dialogues with Secretary-General candidates, where they are facing questions from member states and civil society. Read our key takeaways from each session.

1 for 8 Billion partners with 14 leading NGOs to analyze candidates’ policy positions on core UN challenges.

1 for 8 Billion asks all candidates to uphold five commitments during their SG campaigns.

The President of the General Assembly has announced the schedule for interactive dialogues with all UN Secretary-General candidates taking place on the 21 and 22 of April. The dialogues will be broadcast live on UN Web TV.

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.