Candidates for UN Secretary General 2026

The campaign to choose the next Secretary-General of the United Nations has entered a decisive phase, with eight candidates competing to lead an organization facing wars, financial pressure, geopolitical division, and growing public doubt about whether it can still deliver meaningful results.

António Guterres of Portugal will leave office on December 31 after two five-year terms.

His successor will become the UN’s tenth secretary-general on January 1, 2027.

Here's the full list of candidates: