Ugandan diplomat Otunnu joins race to become next UN head

What the report says

Reuters, carried by The Economic Times, reported that Ugandan diplomat Olara Otunnu has entered the contest to become the next United Nations secretary-general, making him the seventh declared candidate to succeed Antonio Guterres when his term ends later this year. Uganda nominated Otunnu in a letter sent Friday to the presidents of the UN General Assembly and Security Council.

Otunnu, 75, previously served as a UN under-secretary-general and as special representative for children and armed conflict. In his vision statement, he emphasized continued institutional reform, urgent attention to major international conflicts, climate action that does not undercut economic development, and the creation of a body to oversee UN work related to artificial intelligence.

The reported field also includes Rafael Grossi of Argentina, who leads the International Atomic Energy Agency; former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet; former Costa Rican Vice President Rebeca Grynspan; Ecuador’s former foreign affairs and defence minister Maria Fernanda Espinosa; former Guyanese foreign minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett; and former Senegalese President Macky Sall. Reuters reported that Security Council straw polls are expected to begin this week, though additional contenders could still enter.

The selection matters because the next secretary-general will inherit an institution facing pressure over its effectiveness, costs and internal overlap across agencies. Diplomats cited by Reuters said there is no clear frontrunner, while noting support in some quarters for a Latin American candidate and for the UN’s first woman secretary-general. Any successful nominee must avoid a veto from the Security Council’s five permanent members.