Overview
- The four nominees began three-hour hearings Tuesday at UN headquarters, taking questions from all 193 member states and civil society groups.
- After her session, Chile’s Michelle Bachelet said she hopes the world is now ready for a woman to lead the UN.
- Diplomats widely view Argentina’s IAEA chief Rafael Grossi as a leading contender, though some fault him for using his current post to raise his profile.
- Support remains uneven across the field as Chile’s new government withdrew backing for Bachelet and Senegal’s Macky Sall was nominated by Burundi and lacks endorsements from many African states, including his own.
- Next steps will shift behind closed doors as the Security Council holds secret straw polls from July, using color-coded ballots to expose any veto threats by the five permanent members before sending one name to the General Assembly by autumn.