The UN's New Leader: 7 Candidates Compete in a Critical Election Process

The United Nations is entering a new era. With the end of Antonio Guterres' term, a critical election process has begun to determine the new UN Secretary-General. The UN Security Council will start its first informal voting this week, with 7 official candidates competing. Diplomatic circles suggest that a candidate from Latin America may be chosen, and the possibility of the UN's first female Secretary-General is also being discussed.The UN Security Council's 15 members will begin the first informal voting to eliminate candidates. Currently, there are 7 official candidates, and new names may join the process as applications are still open. Diplomatic circles expect a candidate from Latin America to be chosen, and the possibility of the UN's first female Secretary-General is also being discussed.The process of determining the new Secretary-General will begin with informal, non-binding voting in the UN Security Council. The aim of the voting is to eliminate candidates who lack support and find a consensus on a single candidate. The Council will then recommend the candidate to the UN General Assembly for approval. However, the most critical stage of the process is the veto power held by the five permanent members of the Security Council.According to diplomatic sources, there is no clear front-runner in the competition at this stage. The view that the turn has come for the Latin America and Caribbean Group is gaining weight in diplomatic circles. Many countries and international organizations advocate for the election of the UN's first female Secretary-General.Experts emphasize that the candidates' ability to avoid being vetoed by the US, Russia, China, the UK, or France is more important than their personal profiles. The United Nations has been led by nine different Secretaries-General since its establishment in 1945, but all of them have been men.Therefore, the current election process is seen as a significant opportunity not only for the selection of a new leader but also for the potential election of the UN's first female Secretary-General. The fact that some candidates are both female and from Latin America strengthens this possibility.The official list of candidates includes: Meanwhile, Virginia Gamba, a former high-ranking UN official, was nominated by the Maldives in March but withdrew her candidacy in the same month. As a result, the number of official candidates has dropped back to seven.