Media: IAEA chief considers running for UN top job after Guterres

Rafael Grossi, Secretary-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has not ruled out the possibility of succeeding António Guterres as UN Secretary-General.

Grossi admitted that he has considered the prospect of taking the UN's top position after Guterres, whose tenure ends in 2026, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

Despite repeated speculation that Grossi could be the next Secretary-General, he clarified that he has not yet been officially offered the role, noting, “The process has not yet begun.”

Although the 2026 selection process is still years away, discussions about potential candidates have already started. The UN's tradition of geographical rotation suggests the next Secretary-General could come from Latin America and the Caribbean, and many advocates are pushing for a female candidate, after 78 years of male leadership.

Several names have emerged as likely contenders. Among them is Mia Mottley, the charismatic and outspoken Prime Minister of Barbados, who has not yet confirmed whether she will run, but whose potential candidacy has generated significant excitement. One UN diplomat remarked, “I would jump up and down” if Mottley decided to stand for the role.

Other prominent figures in the conversation include former Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, though his representative has denied any plans to run. Also mentioned are Alicia Bárcena, Mexico's foreign affairs secretary; Rebeca Grynspan, a senior UN official and former vice president of Costa Rica; and María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, the former president of the UN General Assembly and former minister of Ecuador.

The next Secretary-General will assume office in January 2027, and while four years may seem too early to discuss potential candidates, many see it as crucial to begin the conversation. As Elina Valtonen, Finland’s foreign minister, stated, “It’s very important to start discussing that because I think it’s also very much a question of what the future should look like for the UN and the Security Council.”

Valtonen, along with others, emphasizes the importance of having the UN's first female leader. “This position should very much be merit-based,” she said, “but I think it’d be very remarkable if again, it’s not a woman who is chosen.”

The process of selecting the UN Secretary-General has traditionally been secretive but became more transparent in 2016. To be considered, candidates must first be nominated by a country, typically their own, before being recommended by the Security Council to the General Assembly.

By Tamilla Hasanova