San Francisco Frontiers - UN leadership hopefuls stress need for peace and restoring confidence

Chile's Michelle Bachelet, Argentina's Rafael Grossi, Costa Rica's Rebeca Grynspan and Senegal's Macky Sall are all hoping to succeed Antonio Guterres on January 1, 2027, when his second five-year term ends.

Each candidate spent three hours this week answering wide-ranging questions from the 193 member states and representatives of civil society.

However, "a lot of diplomats are a bit cynical about the hearings," Richard Gowan of the International Crisis Group told AFP.

"There is a widespread suspicion that the US and other vetoes in the Security Council will select a winner in private and minimize the Assembly's role in the process."

The question-and-answer sessions, dubbed "interactive dialogues," were introduced in 2016.

The General Assembly, where every member state has a seat, can only elect the secretary-general upon the recommendation of the Security Council, where the five permanent members -- the United States, China, Russia, Britain and France -- hold veto power.

Much of what the contenders said was "formulaic" but they did send some "important messages," according to Gowan.

He said Grossi emphasized "how fragile the UN is today" and appeared more "radical" than Guterres on reform.

All the candidates stressed the urgent need to restore confidence in a United Nations teetering on the brink of financial collapse. Its relevance has also been called into question in a world facing a level of armed conflict not seen since World War II.

Chile's Bachelet, a former UN human rights chief, said the secretary-general should be "physically present in the field" wherever problems need solving -- a position also taken by Grossi.

Sall, a former president of Senegal, suggested a "reinvented role" so that the UN might "regain its place at the global table."

Some have criticized Guterres for failing to exert influence over conflicts in Ukraine or the Middle East.

Grynspan said the next UN chief "needs to take a risk" and lamented: "We have become a risk-conservative organization."

"The UN only fails when we don't try, we have to try," added Grynspan, who as head of UN Trade and Development negotiated a deal that facilitated the export of Ukrainian grain following the 2022 Russian invasion.

- Waiting in the wings -

The candidates acknowledged the link between the UN's three pillars of peace, human rights and development, while emphasizing the organization's primary role in upholding the first tenet.

US President Donald Trump has called for the UN to return to its "original mission" of peace.

Very few of the questions focused on specific conflicts, and the candidates largely refrained from answering in concrete terms, preferring instead to invoke a commitment to the UN Charter.

When asked about Gaza, however, Grynspan urged "unrestricted" entry of humanitarian aid and voiced support for a long-term solution for two states to live side-by-side in "peace and security."

Sall highlighted the "human tragedy" of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Candidates' past stances and actions will undoubtedly influence the final selection.

Republican lawmakers have already called on Washington to block Bachelet due to her defense of abortion rights.

Grossi, the current head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, is involved in sensitive matters such as the response to Iran's nuclear programme.

The five Security Council permanent members remain tight-lipped about their intentions, and other contenders for UN chief might still emerge.

"I think that there are still quite a few candidates circling and waiting to see how things play out" before declaring their candidacy, Gowan said.

G.Miller--SFF