Four Candidates Face Public Hearings for UN Top Post

Four candidates are vying to succeed Antonio Guterres as United Nations Secretary-General, with public question-and-answer sessions scheduled this week at the organization's New York headquarters. The contenders, representing Latin America and Africa, will address ambassadors from the UN's 193 member states and nongovernmental organizations amid a backdrop of global conflicts and institutional challenges. Guterres's second term ends on December 31, 2026.

The sessions mark the second use of this public format, introduced in 2016 to enhance transparency in the selection process. On Tuesday, Chile's former President Michelle Bachelet, 74, will speak first, followed by Argentina's Rafael Grossi, 65, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency. On Wednesday, Costa Rica's Rebeca Grynspan, 70, secretary-general of the UN Conference on Trade and Development, and Senegal's former President Macky Sall, 64, will take the floor. Each will face three hours of questions on topics including their vision for the role, international crises and the UN's future direction.

This year's field is notably smaller than the 13 candidates in 2016, when Guterres emerged as the top performer...