The six candidates for United Nations secretary-general will debate on Thursday in the symbolic General Assembly Hall, one week before the formal start of a selection process crucial to an organization in deep crisis.
With the campaign lacking a clear favorite and struggling to generate real enthusiasm, the hopefuls will face 90 minutes of questions from diplomats, UN employees, and civil society representatives at an event starting at 5:00 pm (2100 GMT) and broadcast by Bloomberg.
Chile’s Michelle Bachelet, Ecuador’s Maria Fernanda Espinosa, Argentina’s Rafael Grossi, Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan, Guyana’s Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, and Senegal’s Macky Sall are all in the running to succeed outgoing Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
“This UN town hall will … provide a rare opportunity to engage with the ideas, priorities and leadership vision of the candidates for one of the world’s most important positions,” General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock said.
“In an increasingly fragmented world, the United Nations needs not only an exceptional chief administrator who will make the organization fit for the 21st century but also the leadership and integrity of someone willing to vigorously defend the UN Charter and all its three pillars,” she added.
The United Nations is facing a profound financial and confidence crisis, with US President Donald Trump’s administration accusing it of spending recklessly, spreading itself too thin and failing to deliver satisfactory results.
The United States is therefore demanding a return to the organization’s fundamental purposes of peace and security, while other states stress the equal importance of its other two pillars: human rights and development.
Against this backdrop, “the race does seem short on energy” compared with the livelier 2016 campaign, which had “more candidates and lots of intrigue” before Guterres was ultimately selected, International Crisis Group analyst Richard Gowan told AFP.
“This time around everyone agrees that the race is incredibly important for the future of the UN, but the contest itself has been quite cautious,” he added. “There is a sense that the candidates are treading carefully to avoid offending the US and other veto powers.”
The candidates have already faced three hours of questioning each from representatives of the 193 UN member states.
