U.N. Secretary-General

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Six people stand behind podiums in front of the U.N. General Assembly dias with its gold backdrop, all facing two individuals sitting at a desk in front of them (apparently the moderators of the discussion).

U.N. Secretary-General Candidates May Agree More than They Differ on the Way Forward

The seven candidates share a common premise: that the U.N. remains indispensable but is struggling to meet the demands of a rapidly changing world.

Why the Dearth of Female Nominees for U.N. Secretary-General?

UN member states should expand the field of candidates for Secretary-General by nominating more women for the role.
Guterres speaks at a podium in the massive General Assembly hall, on a large dais at the base of a gold backdrop stretching to the high ceiling, his image also projected on screens behind him, as member state representatives are seated at long rows of desks arrayed in front of the dais.

As U.N. Secretary-General Candidates Make Pitch to be Mediator-in-Chief, Will Peacebuilding End Up On the Cutting Room Floor?

A U.N. pivot back to conflict mediation, suggested in the secretary-general search, will only reap dividends if peacebuilding is high on the next leader's agenda.
United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres speaks at a podium at the UN headquarters while a large audience watches.

In the Race for U.N. Secretary-General, Might a Woman Finally Lead?

In 2026, a decades-old question returns to center stage: will this finally be the moment for a woman to serve as U.N. Secretary-General?
The image shows a large hall from above at the rear, with at least 5 rows of desks and chairs arrayed in a crescent facing away from the viewer toward the front of the room, where officials sit at a dais flanked by two large screens on the wall behind them showing speakers giving remarks.

How to Prevent the U.N. Global Counterterrorism Strategy Negotiations from Blowing Up

As the UN marks 20 years of its Global Counterterrorism Strategy, co-facilitators must steer fraught negotiations to protect human rights and preserve consensus.
Two young men roll a truck wheel away from the camera between two lines of trucks at the left and right of the image.

How the U.N. Can Show Renewed Leadership on Peace Efforts in 2026

To support peace efforts, the U.N. will need to show that it can adapt to the changing world order and not mourn the old order.
Image of a room at a United Nations meeting in 2016, with seats and desks arranged in a semi-circle in front of a screen where the speaker is addressing the audience via video.

As the U.N. Seeks Its Next Secretary-General, a Growing Number of Countries Favor a Woman for the Post

Research analyzing statements by U.N. member states shows at least 94 interested in seeing a woman become the next secretary-general for the first time.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)

Trump Signals Instrumental Approach to U.N. – But it Could Be Worse

Trump's General Assembly speech could have been worse, but it also showed that if countries want to make the U.N. system work, they can't bank on U.S. leadership.
Security Council Chamber at United Nations

The United Nations in Hindsight: The Security Council and the UN80 Initiative – What Lies Ahead?

The road to a leaner, more efficient U.N. is likely to be bumpy, but as the U.N. turns 80, its future may lie in being able to adapt to shifting global realities.
The image shows a large hall from above at the rear, with at least 5 rows of desks and chairs arrayed in a crescent facing away from the viewer toward the front of the room, where officials sit at a dais flanked by two large screens on the wall behind them showing speakers giving remarks.

Time for Rightsizing: Change is Coming to the UN Counterterrorism System

The UN80 reform process, done well, offers a chance to streamline sprawling -- and too often harmful -- structures to focus on the U.N.’s core purpose.
The soldier is standing at the left of the photo looking to the right at the banner arrayed across the rest of the image. Another soldier stands in the top left corner of the image behind him.

If the UN and Member States Are Serious About Preventing Atrocities, It’s Time to Reboot a Key Office

Member States claim to want peace. Addressing issues in the "Joint Office" would elevate atrocity prevention as a priority.
Guterres gesturing at the podium in the UN General Assembly chamber.

What the UN’s Summit of the Future Can Teach Us – When the Dust Settles

The Summit did not reinvigorate multilateralism. Multilateralism survived, yes, but did not exactly get a new lease on life.
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