Africa: World Leaders Call for Woman UN Secretary-General

What the report says

Several world leaders used the UN General Assembly in New York to renew calls for the next secretary-general of the United Nations to be a woman, arguing that the post has never been held by a woman since the organisation was founded in 1945. The reporting from New Era, distributed by AllAfrica, said Namibia’s President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah added her voice to the appeal and said the UN’s top leadership should better reflect gender equality.

The article said Estonia, Botswana, the Dominican Republic and Timor-Leste also backed the idea, while each leader tied the question to wider UN reform, representation and the need for a transparent selection process. Some of the comments also set out desired qualifications for the next chief, including experience in international law, human rights, democracy, inclusion and multilateral leadership.

The discussion comes as the UN prepares to choose a successor to António Guterres, whose second five-year term ends on 31 December 2026. According to the report, the field includes seven candidates after former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet withdrew on 20 September. The selection will go through the Security Council and then the General Assembly, with the next secretary-general expected to begin on 1 January 2027. In broader context, the debate reflects long-running criticism that senior UN leadership has not matched the organisation’s gender-equality goals.