{
  "id": 14277632,
  "title": "US envoy says next UN Secretary General should be chosen on merit, not rotation or gender",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/us-envoy-says-next-un-secretary-general-should-be-chosen-on-merit-not",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-13T19:42:58.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National Business",
    "slug": "the-national-business",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/us/2026/10/13/next-un-secretary-general-paolo-zampollio/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Paolo Zampolli, the US envoy for global partnerships, has stated that the next UN Secretary General should be selected based on merit, rather than through regional rotation or gender considerations. These are \"political traditions\" and not \"legal rules\" under the UN Charter, according to Zampolli. He believes that the world should choose the most qualified individual for the role, focusing on merit, reform, and results. The Security Council is set to choose a successor to Antonio Guterres, whose term ends on December 31, with seven candidates including Guyana's Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett and Argentina's Rafael Grossi. Costa Rica's Rebeca Grynspan is currently leading the race, but her support has begun to waver. A candidate must secure at least nine votes from the Security Council to win, without facing a veto from any of the five permanent members - the US, Britain, France, Russia, and China. The selection process has long been influenced by unwritten diplomatic conventions, including the expectation of regional rotation and the exclusion of permanent members' citizens. Despite calls for more women's representation, no woman has ever led the UN, established in 1946. The final decision rests largely with the five permanent members, each of whom can block a candidate regardless of their support.",
  "summary": "US President Donald Trump ’s special envoy for global partnerships said on Tuesday that the next UN Secretary General should be chosen on merit rather than regional rotation or gender, as these are “political traditions” rather than “legal rules” under the UN Charter. “The world should choose the best person for the job – based on merit, reform and results,” Paolo Zampolli said on social media.…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The National UAE",
        "title": "US envoy says next UN Secretary General should be chosen on merit, not rotation or gender",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/us-envoy-says-next-un-secretary-general-should-be-chosen-on-merit-not-14283678",
        "published": "2026-10-13T19:42:58.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}