Uganda has officially presented Ambassador Olara Otunnu’s candidature for the position of United Nations Secretary-General, reaffirming its commitment to effective, inclusive and responsive multilateralism.
Mr, Vincent Bagiire Waiswa, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said thus, “ Uganda is honoured to present a distinguished statesman whose decades of experience in diplomacy , peacebuilding and international governance position him well to lead the United nations.”
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary , Vincent Bagiire
Bagiire said that Uganda continues to champion constructive multilateral engagement , building on its longstanding contribution to international peace, diplomacy and global cooperation.
Bagiire and Otunnu were today briefing the media after the government of Uganda officially nominated veteran diplomat Ambassador Olara Otunnu (75) as its candidate for the next United Nations Secretary-General, joining the race to succeed António Guterres. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs formally submitted the bid on July 24, 2026.
Otunu said that after spending over 40 years at the UN, he was grounded in issues of peace and security , human rights and sustainable development .
“The next Secretar-General must restore and strengthen the moral authority of the office through dialogue ,consensus-building and principled leadership,” Otunu said/
He also underscored the need for conflict prevention , equitable AI governance , climate action and sustainable development financing .
Amb.Otunnu reaffirmed that his candidature is driven by service to the international community and the shared aspirations of humanity .
“ The Secretary –General serves the peoples of the world . The challenges of peace , development , climate change , technology and human dignity are collective concerns that require collective solutions ,”he added.
Otunnu stressed the need to continue institutional reforms and said he would give immediate priority to efforts to help end major international conflicts. He also pledged work to establish a body to oversee U.N. work on AI and highlighted the need for climate change action that does not undermine economic development.
Otunnu has over four decades experience in international diplomacy, multilateral affairs, and peacebuilding.
At 75, he is the oldest of the current candidates for the role, which Guterres has held for two five-year terms.
Guterres’ successor faces the task of revitalising an organisation in crisis and declining stature that is under increasing pressure to reform a bloated, costly bureaucracy and cut duplication across its many agencies.
The other candidates are Rafael Grossi of Argentina, director-general of the U.N.’s International Atomic Energy Agency; former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet; Rebeca Grynspan, a former vice president of Costa Rica; Maria Fernanda Espinosa, a former foreign affairs and defence minister of Ecuador; Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, a former foreign Minister of Guyana, and Macky Sall, a former president of Senegal.
The selection process is expected to start in earnest this week with straw polls in the 15-nation Security Council aimed at whittling down the field. Other candidates can still join the race.
aDiplomats say there is no obvious frontrunner, although there has been a widespread view it is Latin America’s turn to provide the U.N. leader and there has been support for a first woman in the job.
