Former Ban Ki moon opened a public dialogue with six candidates seeking to become the 10th Secretary-General of the United Nations during the 21st Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity in Jeju, South Korea.
The session, titled “Reimagining Multilateralism: A Dialogue with UN Secretary General Candidates,” was held on the second day of the forum and focused on the future of the United Nations amid ongoing geopolitical tensions, armed conflicts, and climate challenges.
Ban, who served as the eighth UN secretary general from 2007 to 2016 and now co-chairs the Ban Ki moon Foundation, addressed the candidates before they outlined their priorities for leading the organization. The discussion centered on restoring confidence in the United Nations and adapting the institution to current global challenges.
The candidates participating in the session were Michelle Bachelet, who submitted a video statement, María Fernanda Espinosa, Rafael Grossi, Rebeca Grynspan, Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett, and Macky Sall.
The selection process to succeed António Guterres is expected to conclude later in 2026, with the successful candidate scheduled to take office on January 1, 2027.
According to the organizers, five of the six candidates are from Latin America and the Caribbean, a region widely viewed as a leading contender to provide the next UN secretary general.
Before the public discussion, the candidates met privately with Ban for bilateral consultations, drawing on his experience leading the United Nations during the adoption of the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The Jeju Forum, co hosted by South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Jeju Special Self Governing Province, continues through June 26 under the theme, “An Era of Fractured World, Reimagining Cooperation.”
