Who will be the UN's next secretary-general? What to know about the selection process

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This article was originally published by the Council on Foreign Relations .

The race to become the next United Nations secretary-general is well underway. The winner, who is typically chosen and appointed between October and December of the current officeholder's final year, will become the United Nations' 10th secretary-general. They will take office on Jan. 1, 2027, succeeding incumbent António Guterres.

This year's secretary-general selection could be of particular significance because the United Nations may choose its first-ever woman leader — seven candidates are currently in the running, four of whom are women. Based on the United Nations' informal regional rotation, there is also a strong possibility that a candidate from the Latin American and Caribbean region will be selected.

However, regardless of who takes the helm of the United Nations come January, experts agree they will be responsible for steering the 81-year-old organization through multiple critical challenges, including internal reforms, severe funding shortfalls, worsening climate change, the proliferation of artificial intelligence, and escalating geopolitical tensions.

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