Overview
- Michelle Bachelet, Rafael Grossi, Rebeca Grynspan and Macky Sall face three-hour Q&A sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday in New York in only the second public vetting since the format began in 2016.
- The selection then shifts to Security Council straw polls targeting a July recommendation, after which the General Assembly votes on a five-year term starting January 1, 2027.
- Washington has signaled it wants a leader aligned with U.S. interests, and a March letter from Republican lawmakers urged a veto of Bachelet, who remains in the race with backing from Brazil and Mexico after Chile withdrew support.
- Sall was nominated by Burundi but lacks unified African backing, while many states press for the UN’s first female chief and some diplomats note the informal norm that Latin America is next in line.
- Grossi is viewed by many diplomats as a leading contender after high-profile IAEA diplomacy on Iran and nuclear safety in Ukraine, as all candidates pledge to shore up a UN strained by unpaid contributions and questions over its effectiveness.