Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 March 2026
138. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade for an update on the process of selecting the next secretary general of the United Nations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22793/26]
View answerUnder the UN Charter, the Secretary General is appointed by the General Assembly following a recommendation from the UN Security Council. Deliberations are expected to begin in the Security Council in July with the aim of the General Assembly adopting a resolution appointing the Secretary-General in October. The new Secretary-General will take office on 1 January 2027.
In November 2025, the Presidents of the UN General Assembly and UN Security Council jointly invited Member States to nominate candidates for the position of UN Secretary General. To date, five candidates have been officially nominated. They are Rafael Grossi, Michelle Bachelet, Macky Sall, Rebeca Grynspan and Virginia Gamba.
Ireland has actively supported a range of reforms aimed at improving the transparency of the selection process which include inviting candidates to present vision statements, CVs and campaign financing disclosures, all of which is shared on a public UN website. A series of webcast interactive dialogues will be convened with all candidates in April, with the President of the General Assembly in the chair and during which candidates will present their vision statements and field questions from Member States. Ireland looks forward to active participation by all Member States in the interactive dialogues.
For Ireland, it is important that all candidates commit to the delivery of the UN80 reform process and to supporting all three pillars of the UN: peace and security, human rights and sustainable development. It is essential that the UN has a Secretary-General capable of leading a strong, multilateral system at a time of growing geopolitical challenges, attacks on multilateralism and decreased funding. I note that the UN has never had a female Secretary General and I welcome the calls, including by the Presidents of the Security Council and the General Assembly, for the nomination of female candidates.
