Two more candidates nominated for next UN secretary-general

UNITED NATIONS -- Two more candidates have been nominated for the position of the next UN secretary-general, according to documents published on the official website of the president of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on Wednesday.

Burundi, the current chair of the African Union, has nominated Macky Sall, former president of Senegal, while Costa Rica has put forward Rebeca Grynspan, economist and former vice president of Costa Rica, for the post.

With the new nominations, there are currently four candidates vying for the position. The other two candidates are former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet, nominated by Chile, Brazil and Mexico, and Rafael Grossi, the current director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, nominated by Argentina.

In a letter to UN member states on Wednesday, UNGA President Annalena Baerbock revealed the modalities of the interactive dialogues with the candidates, scheduled for the week of April 20.

The dialogues will be structured around the three pillars of the United Nations, namely peace and security, human rights and development. Each candidate will present their vision, followed by questions and engagement from member states, according to the letter.

Nominations must be submitted in advance of the interactive dialogues, and no later than April 1, for candidates to be eligible to participate, the letter added.