New york: The process of selecting the next UN Secretary-General has officially begun with the sending of an invitation to member states to submit applications, to succeed Ant³nio Guterres, effective January 1, 2027. In a joint letter sent to the 193 member states, Sierra Leonean Ambassador Michael Imran Kanu, the current President of the Security Council, and General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock initiated the selection process.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the letter emphasized the significant importance of the Secretary-General position, highlighting the necessity for candidates to demonstrate the highest standards of competence, ability, integrity, and a firm commitment to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. Candidates are also expected to have extensive experience in international relations, diplomatic skills, and linguistic expertise.

The letter also addressed the topic of gender diversity, noting that no woman has ever held the Secretary-General position. The UN urged member states to seriously consider nominating women. To be considered, each candidate must be formally nominated by a country or group of countries and present their “vision” and funding sources.

Informal discussions have already brought forward several potential candidates, including former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Grossi, and Costa Rican Rebecca Greenspan, who currently heads the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

In a bid for transparency, candidates could be subject to public interviews, a practice first implemented during the 2016 selection process that led to Guterres’s first term. The Security Council is expected to begin the formal selection process by the end of May. The five permanent members with veto power-the United States, China, Russia, the United Kingdom, and France-will ultimately decide the candidates’ futures.

Following the Security Council’s recommendation, the General Assembly will have the authority to elect the Secretary-General for a renewable five-year term, commencing on January 1, 2027.