The next UN secretary-general: Who would want ‘the most impossible job on earth’?

The United Nations is set to appoint its next secretary-general, a position often referred to as "the most impossible job on earth." Eight candidates are vying for the role, which rotates between continents with the last holder being Peru's Javier Perez de Cuellar. The ideal candidate is believed to be from Latin America.

The UN faces numerous challenges under its current secretary-general, Antonio Guterres. The US, the UN's largest contributor, has reduced voluntary funding and withdrawn from the World Health Organisation. Financial pressures and unpaid contributions have exacerbated a liquidity crisis. The Security Council has failed to prevent genocides in Gaza and Sudan, or Russia's war in Ukraine. The US has also been accused of breaching the charter, including detaining Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Eight candidates have emerged, each with their own agenda. Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett from Guyana, a former government minister for foreign affairs and indigenous affairs, is leading the pack. She has a platform focused on proactive crisis prevention, streamlining the organisation, reducing overlapping functions, alleviating debt burdens for smaller nations, and addressing the impact of AI and other technologies on the world.

The UN General Assembly and Security Council will discuss and ratify a candidate during the upcoming UN General Assembly, with the new secretary-general set to take office on January 1st.