Six candidates to lead UN take stage for televised debate

The six candidates to lead the United Nations on Thursday convened to offer their visions for the world body, one week before the formal start of a selection process crucial to an organization in deep crisis.

With the campaign struggling to generate real enthusiasm, the hopefuls faced 90 minutes of questions from diplomats, UN employees and civil society representatives at an event in the huge General Assembly Hall, broadcast by Bloomberg.

Chile's Michelle Bachelet, Ecuador's Maria Fernanda Espinosa, Rafael Grossi of Argentina, Costa Rican Rebeca Grynspan, Guyana's Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett and Macky Sall of Senegal are all in the running to succeed outgoing Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

The first question came from one of the two moderators of the debate: "What makes you the best person to be secretary general?"

Each candidate was given two minutes to respond.

"This UN town hall will...provide a rare opportunity to engage with the ideas, priorities and leadership vision of the candidates for one of the world's most important positions," General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock said.

"In an increasingly fragmented world, the United Nations needs not only an exceptional chief administrator who will make the organization fit for the 21st century but also the leadership and integrity of someone willing to vigorously defend the UN Charter and all its three pillars," she added.

The United Nations is facing a profound financial and confidence crisis, with US President Donald Trump's administration accusing it of spending recklessly, spreading itself too thin and failing to deliver satisfactory results.

The United States is therefore demanding a return to the organization's fundamental purposes of peace and security, while other states stress the equal importance of its other two pillars: human rights and development.

Against this backdrop, "the race does seem short on energy" compared with the livelier 2016 campaign, which had "more candidates and lots of intrigue" before Guterres was ultimately selected, International Crisis Group analyst Richard Gowan told AFP.

"This time around, everyone agrees that the race is incredibly important for the future of the UN, but the contest itself has been quite cautious," he added.

"There is a sense that the candidates are treading carefully to avoid offending the US and other veto powers."

The candidates have already faced three hours of questioning each from representatives of the 193 UN member states.

Most stressed the need to continue the organization's ongoing reforms to make it more efficient, as well as the importance of greater involvement by the secretary-general in peace efforts around the world.

On July 30, the 15 members of the Security Council are due to hold their first closed-door, anonymous vote on their preferences among the candidates.

That first "straw poll" will be followed by an unspecified number of similar votes until one candidate can secure the required nine votes without a veto from any of the five permanent members -- the United States, Britain, China, France and Russia.

The name of the selected candidate will then be sent to the General Assembly for the formal appointment to the position.

He or she will take office on January 1, 2027.

Several diplomats interviewed by AFP were cautious about the outcome of the race, saying a number of capitals had yet to make their choice.

"I find that Grossi is still the mostly frequently mentioned front-runner, but he has not locked the race up. Other candidates like Grynspan and Rodrigues-Birkett also have significant numbers of admirers," Gowan said, noting that a dark horse candidate could still emerge.

Many names are still circulating in UN corridors and the media, notably that of FIFA president Gianni Infantino, whom Trump would reportedly like to see take the helm of the UN, according to the New York Post.

Under a tradition of geographic rotation that is not always followed, Latin America is making a claim to the post this time. Sall is the only candidate not from the region.

Many states are also calling for a woman to hold the position for the first time.