Right now, there are five candidates in the race, though more may come forward. Most countries are still weighing the options and haven’t put out public statements on which candidates they endorse.

The current candidates are:

• Michelle Bachelet (Chile). Nominated by Brazil and Mexico. She was previously President of Chile and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
• María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés (Ecuador). Nominated by Antigua and Barbuda. She was previously Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of National Defence in Ecuador and President of the UN General Assembly.
• Rafael Grossi (Argentina). Nominated by Argentina. He is currently the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency and was previously a diplomat for Argentina.
• Rebeca Grynspan (Costa Rica). Nominated by Costa Rica. She is currently the Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development and was previously the Vice President of Costa Rica.
• Macky Sall (Senegal). Nominated by Burundi. He was previously the President of Senegal and Chairperson of the African Union.

The 1 for 8 Billion campaign recently launched policy profiles that explain each candidate’s positions on the critical challenges that the next Secretary-General will confront. The profiles were drafted by a diverse group of expert civil society partners, including CIVICUS.

Our campaign is advocating for two main issues in this selection process. First, we want the process to be as transparent and accountable as possible. Historically, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – China, France, Russia, the UK and the USA – have dominated the process, choosing a Secretary-General without the rest of the world having a clear idea why that person was chosen or whether it was the right outcome. With so much at stake this year, it’s critical that the whole world understands the candidates’ visions for the UN and their leadership qualities, and can shape the decision about who is the right person for the job.

Second, we think it’s past time that there was a woman Secretary-General. In the UN’s entire 80-year history, a woman has never been selected to lead the organisation. This shows there are systemic barriers preventing women rising to the top. The UN champions gender equality globally, including through the Sustainable Development Goals, so it’s important, for the organisation’s credibility, that the UN lead by example and show it is addressing gender equality internally too.

Many civil society groups are also advocating for the next Secretary-General to be principled in defending the UN Charter and core pillars, including human rights, and agendas, such as climate change and sexual and reproductive rights, that are under attack globally.

The next Secretary-General will face a very daunting job. They will have to advance development, human rights and peace and security around the world while navigating three major challenges.

First, they will need to reassert the UN’s power at a time when many question its relevance. The UN has lost influence in recent years, and in particular has not been present and visible in many major crises. The next Secretary-General will have to persuade the world that the UN still wields real power.

Second, they will need to find a way to act despite strong divisions among the major powers. Disagreements between powerful countries have ground the UN to a halt on many issues, including crises like Gaza and Ukraine. The next Secretary-General will have to be innovative in looking for ways to act despite geopolitical roadblocks.

Third, they will need to ensure the UN can deliver results amid a budgetary crisis. The USA is the largest financial contributor to the UN, but under Donald Trump has failed to pay its full dues. This, among other reasons, has caused a massive funding shortfall for the UN, forcing it to close or trim many of its operations around the world. The next Secretary-General will have to ensure that the organisation can refocus its budget on the most important and impactful tasks.