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STORY: UN / PGA SG CANDIDATES
TRT: 5:50
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 21 APRIL 2026, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE – NEW YORK CITY
1.Wide shot, exterior, United Nations Headquarters
21 APRIL 2026, NEW YORK CITY
2.Wide shot, President of the United Nations General Assembly Annalena Baerbock arriving at the press encounter
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Annalena Baerbock, President of the United Nations General Assembly:
“Good morning and thank you all for joining me here today. In just a few minutes I will convene the first of the interactive dialogues with candidates for the position of Secretary-General for the United Nations. While the interactive dialogues mark a critical step in the process and highlight the important role of the General Assembly in the selection and appointment of the next Secretary-General, these dialogues also come at a pivotal moment for the United Nations. The selection of the Secretary-General has widespread consequences that resonate far beyond this building. Our choice will shape the direction of the world’s unique multilateral organization and demonstrate whether the United Nations truly represents the more than eight billion people we serve around the world who are half of are women and girls. A decade has passed since the last new Secretary-General was chosen and in those ten years the world has undergone profound change. We have witnessed shifting geopolitical dynamics, a rise in violence and conflicts, an accelerating climate crisis, rapid technological transformation, a global health pandemic, and widening inequalities between nations. At the same time, while the United Nations is under unprecedented political and financial pressure, the need for global cooperation has never been more urgent, especially given the fact that in our interconnected world, what unfolds in one region echoes across all others. Therefore, respect for international law and engagement within the United Nations is neither abstract nor theoretical. In this context, the selection of the next Secretary-General is not simply an administrative decision, it is a statement of intent. It will send a powerful message about what the United Nations stands for and how it intends to address the challenges of today’s interconnected world. The next Secretary-General will be entrusted not only with navigating these challenges, but also with advancing essential reforms to ensure an organization born 80 years ago from the ashes of two World Wars is capable of meeting 21st century challenges. In a time of unprecedented financial and political pressure on the United Nations, strong, principled, and effective leadership is essential to ensure that the Charter’s promise of serving the people is kept as the UN, through its agencies and programs, ensures everyday access for millions of people to clean drinking water, education and even aviation safety for billions passengers taking airplanes. Based on the revitalization resolution and joint letter with the President of the Security Council, the interactive dialogues are essential to ensuring a transparent and inclusive process. During the three-hour dialogues, candidates will have the chance to highlight their vision for the UN. By answering questions from the 193 Member States, they will also be given the opportunity to demonstrate their proven leadership abilities, experience, and skills to lead a strong and fit-for-the-future organization as well as their capacity to deliver across all three pillars of the United Nations: peace and security, sustainable development and human rights. These pillars are not separate mandates but are deeply interconnected commitments that form the foundation of a peaceful, just and prosperous world, and the Secretary-General must be their strongest advocate. The UN Charter begins with “We the Peoples” and the decision about the future leadership does not concern a few, but all of us in and outside the United Nations. It is therefore essential that civil society is heard as well. Obviously, with over ten million civil society organizations worldwide, it wasn’t possible to invite everyone, so the UN had an open call for civil society that attracted interest from organizations all over the world covering a huge range of thematic areas. The voices and questions of civil society representatives, both in the room and virtually, will be heard in the Trusteeship Council alongside Member States and observers. In a nutshell, this is one of the toughest jobs in the world, but it is also one of the most important as the next Secretary-General will not only shape the future of this institution but in her or his role as the strongest defender of the UN Charter also that of the international rules-based order. Thank you.”
Speaking to media today (21 Apr), UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock opened the first interactive dialogue with Secretary General candidates, calling the role “one of the toughest” yet “most important” jobs in the world, with the next leader set to shape both the UN’s future and the international rules based order.
The four candidates so far in the running to be the next UN Secretary-General will each have the chance to show why they are the best choice during a series of “interactive dialogues” taking place at UN Headquarters in New York this week.
From 1 January 2027, there will be a new person in charge on the 38th floor of UN Headquarters: after 10 years, having completed the maximum two mandates, António Guterres is stepping down.
His successor will not only have to navigate profound political and financial challenges but will also be tasked with advancing essential reforms to ensure the United Nations is fit for the future – at a time when the UN and international law are under direct attack.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, the two men and two women vying for the position are taking part in meetings of the General Assembly during which they will outline their vision for the United Nations and answer questions from Member States and civil society representatives about their leadership experience and qualifications, UN reform and the three pillars of the organisation – peace and security, development and human rights.
They are Michelle Bachelet, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and former President of Chile; Rafael Grossi, current head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Rebeca Grynspan, current head of the UN trade and development agency (UNCTAD); and Macky Sall, former President of Senegal.
The dialogues are being convened by the President of the General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock, who told journalists on Tuesday morning, shortly before the first session that they mark a critical step in the selection process which, she said, comes at a pivotal moment for the United Nations.
“The selection of the Secretary-General has widespread consequences that resonate far beyond this building,” declared Baerbock. “Our choice will shape the direction of the world’s unique multilateral organization and demonstrate whether the United Nations truly represents the more than eight billion people we serve around the world, half of whom are women and girls.”
She described the selection of the next Secretary-General as not simply an administrative decision, but also a statement of intent. “It will send a powerful message about what the United Nations stands for and how it intends to address the challenges of today’s interconnected world.”
“In a nutshell, this is one of the toughest jobs in the world,” declared Baerbock, “but it is also one of the most important, as the next Secretary-General will not only shape the future of this institution but, in her or his role as the strongest defender of the UN Charter, also that of the international rules-based order.”
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