Jeju island: Five candidates to lead the United Nations gathered on Jeju Island on Thursday to lay out their visions for the global institution under financial strain and struggling to stay relevant in a fractured world. Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Rebeca Grynspan, secretary-general of the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development; Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, permanent representative of Guyana to the U.N.; Macky Sall, former Senegalese president; and Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces, Ecuador's former foreign minister, shared a stage at the Jeju Forum for a session titled "Reimagining Multilateralism." Michelle Bachelet, former Chilean president, sent a video message after a scheduling conflict kept her away.
According to Yonhap News Agency, all five candidates agreed that the U.N. has become increasingly invisible, and the next secretary-general's first task will be to make it matter again. In his opening speech, former Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon emphasized the gravity of the role. "The position demands immense responsibility, patience, and at times a profound sense of solitude," he stated, noting that the U.N. is "in the grip of a serious financial crisis" with its credibility under significant strain.
Ban Ki-moon further elaborated that whoever is elected will inherit an institution facing historic challenges, often serving as a scapegoat. However, he also mentioned that the next chief would work "side by side with the most dedicated people on Earth."
In her video message, Bachelet, who also served as U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, argued that "much of what we call inevitable conflict is actually preventable" and advocated for consensus-building anchored in the U.N. Charter.
Espinosa Garces called for reforms, highlighting that the U.N. is experiencing the largest implementation gap in its history. She stressed that the promises and commitments are not translating into tangible improvements for people on the ground. Espinosa Garces vowed to be "impartial only to the charter and to international law" if elected.
Grossi countered the notion that regional groupings like the Group of 20 (G20) or BRICS are rendering the U.N. obsolete. He maintained that the U.N. remains the only truly global platform.
Grynspan emphasized the importance of making the U.N. more relevant to young people, suggesting that the agency should involve them more directly. "Let's open the doors for young people to be part of the staff, part of the innovation, part of what we do every day," she said.
The U.N. Security Council is expected to hold closed-door deliberations before the General Assembly formalizes the appointment later this year, with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' current term ending on December 31.