Antonio Guterres

UN Security Council to hold first poll in race to replace Guterres when he steps down this year

Seven candidates from Africa and Latin America face the first secret, non-binding Security Council ballot as the UN begins choosing a successor to Secretary-General António Guterres.

Members of the United Nations Security Council vote against a resolution by Russia and China to delay by six months the reimposition of sanctions on Iran during the 80th U.N. General Assembly in New York City, US, September 26, 2025.
Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa (L) arrives to receive UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the People's Palace in Damascus on July 25, 2026

Sharaa: Syria working to reach security deal with Israel, will not give up on Golan Heights claim

FIFA President Gianni Infantino (L) and United States of America President Donald Trump (R) look on following the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final match between Spain and Argentina at New York New Jersey Stadium on July 19, 2026 in East Rutherford, United States.

Trump wants FIFA President Gianni Infantino to become next UN Secretary-General - report

MK Ayman Odeh attends Hadash–Ta'al faction meeting, at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, on June 22, 2026.

MK Ayman Odeh, UN chief Guterres to discuss Arab crime wave in New York meeting


Top candidates grilled at UN in contention to replace Guterres as secretary general

Among the candidates is Argentina's Rafael Grossi, who currently serves as the head of the IAEA, as well as Chile's Michelle Bachelet, Costa Rica's Rebeca Grynspan, and Senegal's Macky Sall

Rafael Mariano Grossi, candidate for the position of the next Secretary-General, speaks during a dialogue with delegations while candidates for the position of new United Nations Secretary General are interviewed at U.N. headquarters in New York City, U.S., April 21, 2026.

US envoy Waltz raises doubts over electing Chile's Bachelet as next UN leader

A new United Nations secretary-general will be elected this year for a five-year term starting on January 1, 2027.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet attends her final news conference before the end of her mandate at the UN in Geneva, Switzerland, August 25, 2022.

UN chief names Arnault as personal envoy for Middle East war

UN diplomat Jean Arnault has more than 30 years of experience in international diplomacy focusing on peace settlements and mediation, with a background in UN missions in Africa, Asia, and Europe.

Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Colombia and Head of the UN Mission in Colombia, Jean Arnault, attends to read a memo about the United Nations mission in Colombia, during a UN Security Council meeting, at United Nations Headquarters in New York, on April 19, 2018.

UN 'cooperating actively' with Trump’s Board of Peace on Gaza, Guterres says

Addressing the war in Iran, Guterres called for an end to Tehran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz, suggesting the UN could help protect the waterway and be part of a plan to de-escalate attacks.

UN SECRETARY-GENERAL António Guterres addresses the General Assembly last month. It is time to create alternatives to the UN, the writer argues.

UN chief deeply regrets Iran peace talks fell through, cannot confirm Khamenei's death

Later, Iran's Ambassador to the UN Amir-Saeid Iravani said that the country was "exercising its inherent and lawful right of self-defense," in response to "aggression and large-scale war."

FILE PHOTO: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is seen on a screen as he speaks during a press conference outlining his priorities for 2026 at U.N. headquarters in New York City, U.S., January 29, 2026

My Word: Guterres and the gutless United Nations

Israel is never far from the UN spotlight as the 'bad guys,' while an entire department is dedicated to promoting the Palestinian narrative.

The United Nations Security Council meets on the situation in the Middle East at UN headquarters in New York City, on February 18.

Lebanon shows that Europe’s security model is outdated - opinion

Germany urges Hezbollah’s disarmament, but Lebanon reveals the limits of Europe’s deterrence model in an age of hybrid warefare.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun address the media during a press conference at the presidential palace in Baabda, Lebanon, February 16, 2026.

UN Chief Guterres condemns Gov't decision to reopen land registry in West Bank, calling it illegal

"The decision could lead to the dispossession of Palestinians of their property and risks expanding unlawful Israeli control over land in the area," Guterres wrote in a statement on X.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses delegates during a high-level meeting of heads of state on a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians at United Nations headquarters in New York City, U.S., September 22, 2025.

'We don't always agree with what she says': UN Chief Guterres distances himself from Albanese

The Secretary General's spokesperson explained that his team "doesn't agree with much of what she says, and wouldn't use the language that she uses to describe the situation in the region."

UNITED NATIONS Secretary-General Antonio Guterres smiles while speaking with Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer inside 10 Downing Street in central London, Britain, January 16, 2026.

South Africa to withdraw 700 troops from UN peacekeeping in Congo

South Africa has supported UN peacekeeping efforts in Congo for 27 years and has more than 700 soldiers deployed there.

South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers queue to mark a register upon arrival at Tempe Military Base in Bloemfontein on June 14, 2025, following their withdrawal from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.