Center for Human Rights and Policy Studies (CHRIPS) and Saferworld

Summary

Sall emphasizes the Secretary-General’s role in mediation but does not offer specific policy ideas on prevention. He calls for the Security Council to respond to terrorism.

Profile

Sall aspires to be a Secretary-General who engages in quiet diplomacy with the permanent members of the Security Council, rather than publicly in the “press or the streets.” His platform stresses building bridges and trust with member states, but he has offered few specific policy ideas related to prevention or mediation. He cites his long experience as a public servant dealing with conflict parties, from local disputes while he was a mayor to military coups while he was President of Senegal.

If selected as Secretary-General, Sall has promised to talk to all conflict parties, to place particular emphasis on fragile contexts and to work on preventative action to avoid a future of “the rule of the strongest.” He has stressed the importance of regional organizations, reasserted the importance of sovereignty of all member states and committed to using a “solidarity-based approach, founded on trust in crisis management, associated with sustained efforts for prevention and the strengthening of early warning initiatives and mechanisms.” Yet both his vision statement and his statements at the General Assembly dialogues offer few specific policy ideas, reform initiatives or engagement with the UN’s prevention tools and capacities.

He has given significant attention to the issue of terrorism, especially in the Sahel, as a critical issue that the UN must do more to tackle. He has called for collective action through the Security Council but has not suggested long-term prevention approaches. He has also referenced the importance of youth, women and civil society – but has not committed to any specific action to strengthen the UN’s prevention role in relation to these constituencies.

Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping, and Peacebuilding (CCCPA) and International Peace Institute (IPI)

Summary

Sall emphasizes peacekeeping, drawing on Senegal’s experience as a major troop contributor. He calls for more robust and effective mandates, operationalizing Resolution 2719, and fully integrating the humanitarian-development-peace nexus.

Profile

Sall has addressed peacekeeping more extensively than any other candidate, drawing on his experience as president of a major troop-contributing country in the Sahel and as chair of the Security Council’s Working Group on Peacekeeping Operations. He has been consistently critical of current peacekeeping approaches, particularly their failures in Africa, warning that “mandates and equipment hardly respond to the nature of the situations.”

During his General Assembly dialogue, Sall emphasized the need to integrate political and economic dimensions into peace operations, called for greater coordination with the African Union—committing to operationalize Resolution 2719—and highlighted the need to engage regional organizations, troop-contributing countries, and major financial contributors to address peacekeeping financing challenges. He has committed to “think deeply about the effectiveness of peacekeeping operations” and acknowledged the potential impact of drawing down current missions.

Throughout his presidency, Sall consistently advocated for more robust peacekeeping mandates, particularly in the Sahel, calling on the Security Council to take “greater responsibility” and authorize stronger action against terrorism. At a 2017 Security Council meeting on the HIPPO report, he argued that “the very nature of peacekeeping mandates must evolve to avoid spending endless amounts of money” and advocated for partnership with regional organizations and cooperation between the Security Council, troop-contributing countries, and the Secretariat. His vision statement was more restrained, highlighting the need for “better synergy between peace operations and the actions of development agencies and humanitarian organizations.”

On peacebuilding, Sall has prioritized fully integrating the humanitarian-development-peace nexus across the UN system and has emphasized partnerships between the UN and regional organizations for conflict prevention. He has underscored the role of youth and women in preventing and resolving conflict, recalling the WPS and YPS agendas. However, he has not expressed particular views on the peacebuilding architecture itself.

ODI Global

Summary

Sall supports multilateralism and finding synergy between peace, development and humanitarian responses. He supports protection of women and children. He has not addressed UN humanitarian action in depth.

Profile

As a candidate for Secretary-General, Sall has not addressed humanitarian action in depth. His vision statement calls for the UN to achieve better synergy between peace, development and humanitarian workstreams. Relatedly, he has stated that peace and security cannot be sustained when the foundations of development are undermined by poverty, inequality, exclusion, and climate vulnerability. He has identified the goal of streamlining field operations to avoid duplication and increase impact, particularly in fragile countries.

Sall has acknowledged the high number of conflicts in the world and the urgent need for humanitarian action. He has highlighted the conflict in Sudan, “where humanitarian action is the greatest urgency for the world,” noting the need for serious diplomatic work on all conflicts. He has paid tribute to humanitarian aid workers and said their work needs to be supported.

He has recognized the heavy cost that conflict poses and has called for the UN to collaborate more closely with regional organizations on conflict prevention and resolution. He has emphasized the need to protect women and children, and has also referenced protecting civilians in conflict more generally.

Sall values dialogue and consensus-building and believes in speaking to all stakeholders, including parties to conflict.

Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD) and Southern Voice

Summary

Sall frames development as a financing challenge centered on access to capital, cost of credit and risk perception. He calls for reform of the international financial architecture without detailing concrete pathways. He supports relaunching the SDGs.

Profile

Sall frames development primarily as a question of financing capacity. To Sall, the core issue lies in the conditions under which countries access capital, manage debt and invest in long-term priorities such as infrastructure.

His position on development centers on reforming the international financial architecture. He has linked development constraints to high borrowing costs, short maturities, restricted access to credit, and risk assessments that disadvantage developing countries. His proposals remain broad and do not outline specific institutional changes or reform pathways.

Sall has placed strong emphasis on private capital, investment, trade, and partnerships. He presents these as necessary complements to public finance, while acknowledging that current debt structures can limit development when borrowing conditions are unfavorable.

His approach reflects his experience as a former head of state; as President of Senegal, he oversaw large-scale development projects supported through external financing, while navigating debt constraints, borrowing conditions and access to capital. As a candidate, he has connected development with peace and security, stressing that conflict redirects resources and disrupts long-term progress. He has also recognized inequality, exclusion, and climate vulnerability, though these issues do not drive his overall vision.

Sall has proposed revitalizing the General Assembly and addressing its coordination with the Economic and Social Council on development issues. He has also emphasized representation and power within the UN system, including Security Council reform. These positions reflect concerns about representation and institutional balance in global governance.

On the Sustainable Development Goals, Sall supports their continuation and relaunch. His position indicates that future development agendas will depend on improving financing conditions and expanding access to capital.

Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL) and GQUAL Campaign

Summary

Sall commits to the UN Charter and international law, acknowledges human rights as a pillar. He acknowledges funding imbalances and proposes reallocating savings. He has not proposed strengthening accountability mechanisms. He commits to gender parity and geographic representation.

Profile

Sall has committed to the UN Charter and international law, including calling out noncompliance and avoiding “double standards.” His vision statement omits any reference to human rights as a core pillar, instead framing his approach around “peace, security, development, and shared prosperity.” When asked, he did not clarify the omission but noted that peace must be accompanied by development and affirmed his recognition of the three pillars. He also said he would maintain human rights “at the heart of the UN.”

He has acknowledged funding imbalances for human rights and emphasized that reforms should not weaken core pillars, while noting budget constraints make cuts inevitable. He has suggested eliminating overlapping mandates and reallocating resources to human rights. He has not outlined other strategies to strengthen the human rights pillar or its accountability mechanisms, but has proposed that, on “major human rights issues or war issues,” the use of the veto should be avoided.

His references to human rights focused mostly on violations in conflicts, highlighting women and children. On gender equality, he has committed to promoting women’s rights and emphasized women’s role in conflict prevention and resolution. When asked about actions to address global pushback, including on sexual and reproductive rights and Women, Peace and Security,  he did not provide a response. He has not developed proposals on other human rights issues or affected populations.

Sall has indicated adherence to gender parity and geographic balance, suggesting member states put forward “a qualified woman candidate” alongside others, and pledging to appoint a woman from the “North” as Deputy Secretary-General in light of his background as a man from the Global South.

Sall’s prior experience has not focused on human rights or gender equality, and aspects of his record as President of Senegal have drawn allegations of human rights violations.

‍CIVICUS and Transparency, Accountability and Participation (TAP) Network

Summary

‍Sall commits to geographic and gender parity in senior leadership, including a woman as DSG. He calls for greater inclusion of women and youth, though without specific proposals. He frames civil society positively despite his troubling domestic record.

Profile

Sall has a mixed track record on gender, youth and civil society inclusion. The repression civil society faced in Senegal from 2021-2024 at the hands of Sall’s administration has raised concerns from civil society actors regarding his willingness to work with civil society and oppositional actors. In an interview with PassBlue, Moussa Ngom, a Senegalese journalist, noted that he “plunged the country into one of the darkest periods in its democratic history,”and questioned his fitness for “a role that demands strong credibility on human rights.” During this period, Human Rights Watch documented a systematic crackdown on the political opposition, media, and civil society, including arbitrary arrests of journalists and activists and bans on civil society demonstrations.

‍This history is at odds with Sall’s statements during the General Assembly dialogues, where he repeatedly named civil society as an important actor. As a candidate, he has primarily framed civil society as implementation partners (in humanitarian aid distribution, for example) rather than accountability and governance partners. Sall has discussed the need to gain back the trust of member states, but has not acknowledged the trust deficit between the world’s population and the UN as an institution. He has also mentioned the need to include women and youth in UN agendas related to peacebuilding and job opportunities. ‍

On representation, Sall cites a track record on women’s representation in his leadership and advisory teams throughout his career. He has further committed to appointing a woman from the “North” as Deputy Secretary-General.

So far in his campaign, Sall has not directly addressed LGBTQ+ peoples, shrinking civic space, or anti-gender pushback as a challenge for feminist civil society. During the General Assembly dialogues, when asked about regression on gender equality commitments under international law, Sall did not answer but rather discussed gender parity in high-level appointments.

Plataforma CIPÓ and SHE Changes Climate

Summary

Sall gives climate little prominence in his campaign. He acknowledges vulnerability, adaptation and finance gaps, especially for SIDS and Africa. He supports the Loss and Damage Fund and Just Energy Transition Partnership, but proposes no concrete reforms toward climate objectives.

Profile

As a candidate, Sall has had limited engagement on climate. His vision statement argues that peace and security cannot be ensured on a lasting basis when the foundations of development are undermined by poverty, inequality, exclusion and “climate vulnerability” – the only time climate is directly mentioned. The statement refers more broadly to “the environment” among the global issues to which the UN must provide collective, credible and effective responses. It also calls for the UN to act as a central platform for strategic consultation on these issues, in collaboration with the Bretton Woods institutions, other international financial institutions and non-state partners.

Similarly, Sall made a passing reference to climate in his opening remarks at the General Assembly dialogue, listing “climate vulnerabilities" as one of several systemic global challenges.

In response to member state questions, he has highlighted “backtracking” and a “drop in climate funding” since the Paris Agreement. He has referred to the Just Energy Transition Partnership and the Loss and Damage Fund as relevant mechanisms that should be continued to move toward a just climate transition.

On SIDS, he has recognized that rising sea levels threaten “their very existence” and stressed that these countries “contribute very little” to the pollution driving climate change, calling for international solidarity to support SIDS’ adaptation and resilience efforts. However, when pressed on how he would use his leadership to mobilize climate action, he did not offer concrete pathways. He has said that reforms under his leadership “will not be at the detriment of developmental and climate fund expense,” but did not explain how that commitment would be operationalized.

Sall has experience on climate, including as former Special Envoy for the Paris Pact for People and the Planet and as current President of the Global Center on Adaptation to Climate Change.

Article 109

Summary

Sall emphasizes a more representative UN. He calls for political reform of the Security Council, General Assembly and ECOSOC but without concrete proposals. He commits to calling out Charter violations and treating member states equally without double standards. 

Profile

Sall is expected to be vocal in championing the Charter. He is the most forward-leaning of the candidates on advocating for political reform, including of the Security Council. However, he has not offered concrete proposals to achieve this.

Sall views much of the UN’s dysfunction as stemming from a failure to become more representative and to adapt, saying that for more than three-quarters of member states, the institutional architecture of 1945 has become "a source of inequality that feeds frustration and challenges to the system."

While acknowledging the hurdles in delivering Security Council reform, he has positioned the Secretary-General as being able to “move the agenda.” He has also identified revitalizing the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council, particularly on development, as priorities. He has not provided specific proposals, but envisions hosting a dialogue with the Security Council’s permanent members to better “ensure the legitimacy and effectiveness of the UN.”

Sall has expressed support for implementing UN80 and has noted the UN needs to rediscover its place in the multilateral system, working alongside international financial institutions.

As Chair of the African Union from 2022-2023, Sall was instrumental in the successful push for permanent AU membership of the G20. As a President of Senegal, he implemented economic and constitutional reform.

Sall has said that the Secretary-General must be impartial and independent, explicitly stating that he would not align with any geopolitical bloc, promising to act as a bridge “between East and West, and between North and South.”

He has emphasized his commitment to international law and to applying this message to all without selectivity or double standards – and specifically called for member states not to exercise the veto “for major human rights issues or war.”