NEW YORK, United States: The UN secretary-general debate will bring six candidates to the General Assembly Hall on Thursday at 5 p.m. EDT, or 2 a.m. PKT Friday.
The 90-minute town hall will feature former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet, Ecuador’s María Fernanda Espinosa, Argentine diplomat Rafael Mariano Grossi, Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan, Guyana’s Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett and former Senegalese president Macky Sall.
Diplomats, United Nations employees and civil society representatives will question the candidates about their priorities and leadership plans. The Office of the President of the General Assembly organised the event with support from Bloomberg, while UN Web TV will also carry the broadcast.
United Nations General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock said the event would offer an opportunity to examine the candidates’ ideas and ability to defend the UN Charter’s three pillars: peace and security, human rights and development.
Read: Trump Reportedly Backs Infantino for UN Secretary-General
The debate comes as candidates face questions about UN reform, financial pressures, global conflicts and the organisation’s future role. Each contender has already participated in an individual interactive dialogue with representatives of the UN’s 193 member states.
The 15-member Security Council is expected to hold its first closed-door straw poll on July 30, according to Agence France-Presse. A successful candidate ultimately needs at least nine Security Council votes without a veto from China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom or the United States.
The Security Council will recommend one candidate to the General Assembly for formal appointment. The successful contender will replace António Guterres, whose second term ends on December 31, and take office on January 1, 2027
