Overview
- Four declared contenders wrapped public dialogues at UN headquarters on April 21–22, outlining plans that center on peacemaking and urgent institutional reform.
- The process now moves to informal Security Council straw polls, where the United States, China, Russia, Britain and France can block candidates through a veto that diplomats expect to be decisive.
- Rebeca Grynspan pledged a hands-on push for peace, saying she would go to conflict zones, and called for unrestricted aid into Gaza with support for a two-state solution.
- Michelle Bachelet emphasized women’s rights as some US Republican lawmakers urge Washington to veto her, while Macky Sall urged cost-cutting coordination and faces reported resistance from parts of Africa.
- IAEA chief Rafael Grossi described the UN as fragile, promised action-focused diplomacy, and said he would help convene talks on Security Council reform led by member states, with the winner to take office on January 1, 2027.