{"id":6399,"date":"2026-04-23T20:45:51","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T15:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/timesasian.com\/?p=6399"},"modified":"2026-04-23T21:41:37","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T15:56:37","slug":"race-for-the-next-un-chief-power-politics-and-the-push-for-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timesasian.com\/?p=6399","title":{"rendered":"Race for the Next UN Chief: Power, Politics, and the Push for History"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b><b><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">By Raju Lama<\/span><\/b><\/b><b> <\/b><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">As the second term of Ant\u00f3nio Guterres approaches its conclusion in 2026, the race to lead the United Nations is quietly intensifying behind closed doors\u2014where global diplomacy, geopolitical rivalries, and calls for reform are <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">converging.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">At stake is not just a leadership transition, but the direction of a world body grappling with wars, climate crises, and a fractured global order.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\"> A Contest Shaped by Power<\/span><\/b><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">While the Secretary-General is formally appointed by the UN General Assembly, the real decision lies with the UN Security Council\u2014particularly its five permanent members: the United States, China, Russia, United Kingdom, and France.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">Any one of them can veto a candidate. Diplomats say the next Secretary-General must be \u201cacceptable to all, inspiring to many, and threatening to none.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\"> Latin America\u2019s Moment ?<\/span><\/b><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">An informal regional rotation system now points toward Latin America and the Caribbean, a region that has never held the post in recent decades. That geopolitical opening has triggered a competitive field of candidates.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">Among the leading contenders:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><b><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">\u2022 Rafael Grossi (Argentina)<\/span><\/b><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">A seasoned nuclear diplomat, Grossi is widely seen as a consensus-builder with credibility across major powers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">\u2022 Rebeca Grynspan (Costa Rica)<\/span><\/b><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">A veteran UN insider and economist, Grynspan represents continuity with reform\u2014and a strong push for gender equality.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">\u2022 Michelle Bachelet (Chile)<\/span><\/b><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">A globally recognized figure in human rights, Bachelet carries both influence and political baggage in a polarized world.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">\u2022 Macky Sall (Senegal)<\/span><\/b><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">Backed by parts of the Global South, Sall symbolizes Africa\u2019s growing voice but faces regional competition.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">A Historic First ?<\/span><\/b><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">Momentum is building for the appointment of the first female Secretary-General in UN history\u2014a long-standing demand from civil society and many member states.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">Figures like Grynspan and Bachelet are at the center of this conversation, though diplomats caution that gender alone will not override geopolitical realities.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">The \u201cInvisible Campaign<\/span><\/b><b><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">\u201d<\/span><\/b><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">Unlike national elections, this race unfolds in private:<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">\u2022 No public voting<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">\u2022 No campaign rallies<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">\u2022 Quiet negotiations in diplomatic corridors<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">Candidates are tested through informal \u201cstraw polls\u201d in the Security Council, where veto signals from major powers often determine who advances\u2014and who quietly exits.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">Crisis Leadership Required<\/span><\/b><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">The next Secretary-General will inherit:<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">\u2022 Ongoing conflicts in multiple regions<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">\u2022 Rising climate emergencies<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">\u2022 Declining trust in multilateral institutions<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">\u2022 Economic inequality across the Global South<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">\u201cThe job has never been more difficult\u2014or more necessary,\u201d said one senior diplomat.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">The Likely Outcome<\/span><\/b><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">Despite a diverse field, history suggests a familiar pattern:<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">\u2022 A compromise candidate may emerge late<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">\u2022 One who is acceptable to all five permanent members<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">\u2022 Likely from Latin America<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">\u2022 Possibly a woman\u2014but not guaranteed<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">Final Word<\/span><\/b><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">The race for the next UN Secretary-General is less about popularity and more about power equilibrium.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">In a divided world, the winner will not be the most outspoken voice\u2014but the one who can navigate silence, balance influence, and survive the veto.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\"><b>As one diplomat put it:<\/b><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">\u201cThe Secretary-General is chosen not only for what they can do\u2014but for what they will not do.\u201d<\/span><!--\/data\/user\/0\/com.samsung.android.app.notes\/files\/clipdata\/clipdata_bodytext_260423_111642_780.sdocx--><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Raju Lama As the second term of Ant\u00f3nio Guterres approaches its conclusion in 2026, the race to lead the United Nations is quietly intensifying behind closed doors\u2014where global diplomacy, geopolitical rivalries, and calls for reform are converging. At stake is not just a leadership transition, but the direction of a world body grappling with [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":6406,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6399","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-highlights"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/timesasian.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Messenger_creation_CA089874-CE00-405A-AA43-FDDFE8A015B6.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesasian.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6399","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesasian.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesasian.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesasian.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesasian.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6399"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/timesasian.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6399\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6407,"href":"https:\/\/timesasian.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6399\/revisions\/6407"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesasian.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6406"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesasian.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6399"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesasian.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6399"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesasian.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6399"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}