Overview
Dr. Augustina Șiman’s guide explains how the UN selects and appoints the next Secretary-General, with a practical roadmap for what to expect during the 2025–2026 selection and appointment process. It walks through the formal foundations of UN documents and practice, translating the historical archives into an easy sequence: the joint letter launching nominations, the General Assembly’s informal dialogues, the Security Council’s informal meetings, multiple rounds of straw polls, and finally the Security Council recommendation followed by the General Assembly appointment and Oath of Office.
Key Findings
- The Secretary-General is appointed by the General Assembly upon recommendation of the Security Council (UN Charter, Article 97), and must maintain independence from external instruction (Article 100).
- Since 1946, the UN has had nine Secretaries-General; the guide highlights two representation gaps discussed in SG selection debates: no women SGs and no SG from the Eastern European Group.
- The modern selection approach emphasizes transparency and inclusivity, including public-facing candidate engagement through informal interactive dialogues in the General Assembly (a practice developed in the 2015–2016 cycle and expected to continue).
- The joint letter from the Presidents of the General Assembly and Security Council formally initiates the process, invites nominations by Member States, and supports maintaining a public list of candidates.
- The Security Council’s straw polls are informal, secret, and non-binding—used to narrow the field and test viability before a formal recommendation is made.
- What matters most in straw polls is not only overall support, but whether a candidate receives a “discourage” signal from a permanent member once colour-coded ballots are introduced (a practical proxy for a veto risk).
- The process culminates in a Security Council resolution recommending a single candidate, followed by a General Assembly resolution appointing the Secretary-General-designate, and the Oath of Office administered by the President of the General Assembly.