Name: How does the UN pick its chief and who are the contenders?
Uploaded: 2026-01-15T08:51:16.256Z
Duration: 3 min 26 s
Description: The United Nations will pick its next secretary-general this year for a five-year term beginning in 2027. How will the 193-member General Assembly choose the successor to current U.N chief Antonio Guterres, and who are the likely candidates for that position?

The United Nations will pick its next secretary-general this year for a five-year term beginning in 2027. How will the 193-member General Assembly choose the successor to current U.N chief Antonio Guterres, and who are the likely candidates for that position?

New York

The United Nations is commencing the process to choose its next secretary-general, who will serve a five-year term beginning in 2027. Candidates must be nominated by UN member states by April 1, after which they will participate in public dialogues to present their visions.

Currently, Rafael Grossi is the only formally nominated candidate, while Michelle Bachelet and Rebecca Grinspan are expected to be nominated by their respective countries. The final selection involves secret ballots by the Security Council, requiring consensus among its five permanent members, before approval by the General Assembly.

How does the UN pick its chief and who are the contenders?

The United Nations will be choosing its next secretary-general this year. Antonio Guterres' replacement will serve a five-year term starting from the beginning of 2027. But selecting the next symbol for the United Nations' ideals will be a complex process. This week, the President of the World Body's General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock, called for nominations. It is a choice that will determine how we address pressing global challenges. From conflicts and climate change to inequality, we need someone who is up to the task at hand, who can chart a path to the future while passionately defending the principles of our charter. So how does the UN go about choosing its next secretary-general? And might it finally get a female leader? Candidates first have to be nominated by UN member states by April 1st this year. Nominees will then take part in so-called interactive dialogues, which will be broadcast online. That gives them a chance to present their vision and take questions. So far, only one candidate has been formally nominated. Rafael Grossi is a veteran Argentine diplomat who serves as Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Two other publicly declared candidates have yet to be formally nominated. Former Chilean President Michel Bachelet also previously served as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. While Rebecca Grinspan is the former Vice President of Costa Rica and currently serves as Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development, both potential candidates will be nominated by their home countries. In the UN's 80-year history, no woman has ever served as Secretary-General, but in a resolution adopted in September, the General Assembly encouraged countries to strongly consider nominating women as candidates. Though Grinspan says that's not helpful. We don't need a special treatment. What we are really asking for is no discrimination. Once member states have put up their nominations, the UN's 15-member Security Council steps in. It will hold secret ballots, called straw polls, until a consensus is reached on a candidate. Ultimately, the five permanent, veto-wielding council members must agree on a candidate. That process could take multiple ballots, as was seen with Guterres' appointment. After our sixth straw poll, we have a clear favorite, and his name is Antonio Guterres. The Security Council's choice then has to be approved by the General Assembly, though that's usually a formality. I, Antonio Guterres... The UN Charter calls the Secretary-General the chief administrative officer of the world body. Currently, the UN chief oversees thousands of civilian staff and 11 peacekeeping operations. The core annual United Nations budget is $3.45 billion, while the peacekeeping budget is $5.4 billion. Only the Security Council can authorize military force or sanctions, while the UN Secretary-General can merely advocate action. Many diplomats say the five Security Council veto powers prefer a secretary rather than a general.

Denmark says fundamental disagreements remain with the US over the future of Greenland. President Donald Trump has said he wants to take over the territory 'one way or another', arguing anything short of full American control is unacceptable.

Nuuk

Greenland, Denmark say Trump set on ‘conquering’ territory after meet

Republicans in the Senate killed a resolution on Wednesday that would have put limits on President Trump's ability to take action in Venezuela. Vice President JD Vance had to step in to break the 50-50 tie.

Washington

Venezuela Strikes

Senate Republicans kill war powers effort to limit Trump on Venezuela

U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted foreign ministers from Greenland and Denmark as President Donald Trump continues to insist on a U.S. takeover of Greenland.

Vance and Rubio meet with officials from Greenland and Denmark

At least 30 people were killed when a construction crane collapsed onto a moving train in northeastern Thailand, at the site of a planned high-speed rail project intended to eventually link China with much of Southeast Asia.

Sikhio District

At least 30 people killed in Thailand train derailment

Tehran has warned neighbors hosting U.S. troops that it would hit American bases if Washington strikes, a senior Iranian official told Reuters, as Iran seeks to deter Donald Trump's threats to intervene on behalf of protesters.

Tehran

Iran warns neighbors it could hit U.S. bases if Washington strikes

As Prime Minister Mark Carney heads to China to ease trade tensions, President Donald Trump reiterated that the U.S. doesn’t need Canadian goods or the CUSMA. Carney was also urged by Ontario’s premier to not back down on tariffs for Chinese EVs.

Ottawa

Trump says he doesn’t need Canadian goods or the CUSMA

United States President Donald Trump says he has cancelled all meetings with Iranian officials and has told protesters to “take over your institutions” amid Tehran’s crackdown.

Trump cancels Iran meetings, urges protesters to take on institutions

Around 2,000 people including security personnel have been killed in protests in Iran, an Iranian official said, the first time authorities have acknowledged the high death toll from an intense crackdown on two weeks of nationwide unrest.

Iran official says 2,000 killed in nationwide unrest

Former President Bill Clinton is refusing to appear before the House Oversight Committee to testify as part of its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. CBS News congressional correspondent Nikole Killion has more.

Bill Clinton skips Epstein deposition on Capitol Hill

Former Corsican nationalist leader Alain Orsoni, who also served as the president of soccer club AC Ajaccio, was shot dead in Corsica on January 11 during his mother’s funeral. He was 71. Alain Orsoni was one of the leaders of the Corsican National Liberation Front (FLNC) in the 1980s. He later founded and led the Movement for Self-Determination (MPA).

Vero

Ex-Corsican nationalist leader Alain Orsoni killed at mother's funeral

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who needs to have a graft conviction overturned to seize her best chance at the French presidency, risks seeing her life's work upended if she loses her appeal. It comes after a French court last year barred her from running for office for five years over a European Parliament fake-jobs scam involving her and other officials from her National Rally party.

Paris

Marine Le Pen's appeal in EU fund embezzlement case opens in Paris

British regulators are investigating X for lewd AI images generated by Grok, the AI arm of Elon Musk's social platform. Michael Goodyear, an associate professor at New York Law School, joins CBS News with more.

London

UK investigating Musk's X over Grok's AI-generated images

As U.S. President Donald Trump weighs a response to Iran's deadly crackdown on nationwide protests, Iranian leaders say they are still keeping communications open with the Americans. But on January 12, large pro-government rallies took place across Iran, and the U.S. was clearly framed as the enemy and instigator of the protests.

Iranian leaders mobilise supporters as U.S. weighs intervention

Last week an Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agent shot and killed Renee Good, a Minneapolis mother who was observing a law enforcement action carried out by the agency.

Minnesota

Minnesota sues federal government to prevent further ICE deployment

The demonstrations are the biggest Iran has seen in years. Protests spurred by the Iranian currency collapse have morphed into a larger test of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's rule.

Trump weighs military action against Iran over protest crackdown

President Claudia Sheinbaum has sought to safeguard Mexican sovereignty while cooperating with the US on key issues.

Mexico City

Mexico’s Sheinbaum rejects Trump’s threat of strikes on drug cartels

President Donald Trump said that any country which does business with Iran will face a tariff rate of 25% on trade with the U.S., as Washington weighs a response to the situation in Iran which is seeing its biggest anti-government protests in years.

Trump says nations trading with Iran will face 25% U.S. tariffs

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says his country is ready for war but also for dialogue, after US President Donald Trump said the US is considering ‘very strong options’ in response to Iran’s crackdown on antigovernment protests.

Iran FM Araghchi warns ready for war if U.S. wants to ‘test’ it

Britain will bring into effect a law criminalizing the creation of non-consensual intimate images this week, technology minister Liz Kendall told parliament after regulator Ofcom launched an investigation into Elon Musk's X.

UK investigates Musk's X over Grok sexual deepfakes

Iran's internet was cut off late last Thursday, apparently in an attempt by government authorities to prevent protesters from organizing and uploading videos for the outside world to see.

Iran enforcing nationwide internet blackout amid protests

Malaysia and Indonesia have become the first countries to block Grok, the artificial intelligence chatbot developed by Elon Musk's company xAI, amid concerns that it is being misused to generate sexually explicit and nonconsensual images.

Malaysia and Indonesia block Musk’s Grok over sexualized AI images

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has welcomed German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who is on a two-day visit. Merz is traveling with a large business delegation as Germany seeks to deepen economic and security ties.

New Delhi

Germany's Merz makes first official visit to India

At the first major awards show of the season, "One Battle After Another" and "Adolescence" both won four awards. In a surprise win, "Hamnet" upset "Sinners" for best motion picture for a drama.

Los Angeles

"One Battle After Another," "Adolescence" win big at Golden Globes

Fallout from the fatal shooting of Renee Good by a U.S. immigration and customs enforcement officer in Minneapolis continues with government officials standing by the action and ordering more ICE officers into the city.

Minneapolis

Hundreds more ICE agents headed to Minneapolis after fatal shooting

Powell said the investigation, linked to a testimony he gave to a Senate committee about renovations to Fed buildings, was an attempt to limit central bank independence.

U.S. opens criminal investigation into Fed Chair Jerome Powell

Protests continue in Iran amid a violent government crackdown. Activists say hundreds of demonstrators have been killed. President Trump says Iran now wants to negotiate to prevent a U.S. military response.

Trump says Iran 'wants to negotiate' as protests intensify

President Trump says Iranian leaders have reached out to the U.S. to negotiate, as massive protests continue and more deaths are reported by activists.

Trump weighs military option in Iran amid rising death toll

President Trump has been briefed on new military options for a strike against Iran amid widespread protests and a government crackdown on communications for Iranians, a senior U.S. official tells CBS News. "We'll be hitting them very hard where it hurts," he said at the White House.

Trump briefed on new military options for Iran strikes amid protests

Demonstrations in Iran are now entering their third week and the death toll is surging with hundreds killed, according to a human rights group. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei insisted that the Islamic regime will "not back down" in the face of the growing social unrest and calls for regime change.

Protests in Iran intensifying despite threat of death for dissidents

The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas showcased a wide array of AI-powered innovations, including paper-thin televisions, interactive Lego, and binoculars that can identify bird species in real time. Notable breakthroughs included .Lumen's AI glasses for the visually impaired and Roborock's Saros Rover, a robotic vacuum cleaner capable of navigating stairs and various surfaces autonomously.

Breakdown