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Six candidates lay out visions at United Nations secretary-general town hall
Summary
At a United Nations town hall, six secretary-general candidates — four women and two men — presented visions that emphasized engagement with artificial intelligence, climate action, and a major reform of the 80-year-old organization; next steps move to Security Council straw polls before a General Assembly decision.
Six candidates for United Nations secretary-general presented their priorities at a town hall described by the event presenter as an opportunity for the office to represent both the institution and the global population. "The next secretary general is not only in the face of an institution, but it's also the face of 8,000,000,000 people around the world," the presenter said, adding that about "4,000,000,000 women and girls" are included in that constituency.
The presenter said the six candidates (four women and two men) each outlined how they would approach the role, touching on topics that reach beyond the United Nations itself to "the shape of the world." Candidates flagged engagement with new technologies such as artificial intelligence and action on the climate as priorities, and several emphasized the need to reform the organization. The presenter summarized that, "a house built 80 years ago definitely needs a renovation," framing institutional reform as a shared, central issue among the candidates.
Selection of the next secretary-general will follow the UN's established process, the presenter said: candidates move to the Security Council for recommendation and then to the General Assembly, which comprises 193 member states. The presenter said straw polls in the Security Council are expected over the summer as part of the selection timeline. The town hall was presented as a public step in a multi-stage process rather than a final decision point.
