Ugandan statesman is in the race to become the next secretary-general of the United Nations

Ugandan diplomat Olara Otunnu is making a bid to become the next secretary-general of the United Nations, joining a field of six contenders aiming to succeed current leader Antonio Guterres by the end of the year. Otunnu, who is backed by his own nation, is currently in New York, meeting with various delegations and engaging in discussions with the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council.

According to Adonia Ayebare, Uganda's permanent representative to the U.N., Otunnu required assistance with his visa, as citizens from his country are currently prohibited from entering the United States due to Ebola prevention measures.

A 75-year-old veteran of the U.N. system, Otunnu has been retired since losing the Ugandan presidential election in 2011. Although once considered a frontrunner to replace Egyptian Boutros-Boutros Ghali as U.N. secretary-general in 1997, he was prevented from doing so by the Ugandan authorities who are now nominating him. Prior to his tenure as the president of the International Peace Institute in New York, Otunnu was viewed unfavorably by the government of President Yoweri Museveni.

Kofi Annan, who also hailed from Ghana, ultimately won the position and appointed Otunnu as a U.N. under-secretary-general and special representative for children and armed conflict. Otunnu held this role from 1997 until 2005, when he was awarded the Sydney Peace Prize for his relentless dedication to protecting children in times of war and promoting healing and social reintegration efforts for children affected by conflict.

Educated at Oxford and Harvard Law School, Otunnu served as Uganda's representative to the U.N. from 1980 to 1985 and functioned as the nation's president of the Security Council for a year. Additionally, he briefly held the position of Uganda's foreign minister in the 1980s. Widely regarded as an elder statesman within Uganda, Otunnu emphasized during a recent press conference that while the U.N. currently addresses numerous issues, the most crucial mandate for the organization remains peace and security.