Uganda nominates Olara Otunnu for UN secretary-general race

ISLAMABAD: Uganda has put forward veteran diplomat Olara Otunnu for the United Nations' top job, expanding the field of declared contenders to seven ahead of expected Security Council straw polls this week.

Uganda submitted Otunnu's nomination in a letter sent on Friday to the presidents of the UN General Assembly and the Security Council. He would replace Antonio Guterres, whose second five-year term ends later this year.

Otunnu, 75, is a former UN under-secretary-general and previously served as the organisation's special representative for children and armed conflict. He is the oldest candidate so far in the contest.

In his vision statement, Otunnu said he would press ahead with institutional reform and make efforts to help end major international conflicts his immediate priority. He also called for a body to supervise the UN's work on artificial intelligence and emphasised action on climate change that does not come at the expense of economic development.

The other declared candidates are Rafael Grossi of Argentina, who heads the International Atomic Energy Agency; former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet; former Costa Rican vice president Rebeca Grynspan; former Ecuadorian foreign and defence minister Maria Fernanda Espinosa; former Guyanese foreign minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett; and former Senegalese president Macky Sall.

The selection process is expected to accelerate in the coming days as the 15-member Security Council begins informal straw polls to narrow the field. More candidates could still enter the race.

Diplomats say there is no obvious frontrunner. Many believe the post should go to a candidate from Latin America this time, while there is also support for the appointment of the UN's first woman secretary-general. Analysts say any eventual winner will also need to avoid a veto from one of the Security Council's five permanent members, especially China, Russia or the United States.