Choosing the Next UN Secretary-General: The Threat of Veto or Veto Itself Must Not Silence the World

Opinion by Anwarul K. Chowdhury (new york)Tuesday, October 27, 2026Inter Press Service NEW YORK, October 27 (IPS) - The selection of the next Secretary-General of the United Nations has reached a critical juncture. It raises fundamental questions about fairness, transparency, regional balance, and the democratic legitimacy of the world’s most universal organization. Ambassador Anwarul K. ChowdhuryThe announcement on 21 October by the United Arab Emirates nominating its Minister of State, Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh, has introduced another dimension to an already prolonged selection process.Ambassador Nusseibeh is an experienced diplomat with an established record of service to the United Nations. However, the timing of this candidature raises legitimate questions about the integrity and credibility of the selection process.Two Women Lead a Historic Selection ProcessSix rounds of Security Council straw polls have already taken place. Two distinguished and competent women from the Latin American and the Caribbean regional group of the United Nations, Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica and Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett of Guyana, have emerged as the two topmost leading candidates, with the forme...