Time for a woman —or Muslim—UN secretary general?
Islamabad–As the United Nations prepares to select its 10th secretary general, global attention is focused not only on which candidate will succeed António Guterres in January 2027, but on what the choice will signal about the institution’s relevance, priorities, and ability to respond to mounting global crises.
On Nov. 25, 2025, the presidents of the UN General Assembly and the Security Council jointly invited all 193 member states to nominate candidates for the post. In a noteworthy departure from past practice, their letter expressly encourages member states to nominate a woman while also underscoring the importance of regional diversity.
“Noting with regret that no woman has ever held the position of secretary general, and convinced of the need to guarantee equal opportunities for women and men in gaining access to senior decision‑making positions, Member states are encouraged to strongly consider nominating women as candidates,” they wrote.
All nine individuals who have previously led the United Nations in its 80‑year history have been men, a fact that critics and diplomats alike increasingly view as a glaring symbol of gender inequality at the highest level of global diplomacy.
A historic moment for gender equality. Calls for a woman to lead the United Nations have grown louder in 2025, with voices from capitals worldwide urging a break from an unbroken tradition that has excluded women from the organization’s most powerful seat.
At the 80th UN General Assembly, numerous leaders spoke out. Civil society organizations and advocacy coalitions such as 1 for 8 Billion and the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders note that dozens of countries have in recent months pressed the UN to consider gender balance in its leadership, with indirect or direct references to the need for the next secretary general to be a woman.
Beyond gender: Gaza, credibility, and trust. The push for the first woman secretary general is not happening in isolation. The UN’s credibility has been intensely debated over its response to the Gaza crisis, where humanitarian needs remain severe and civilian suffering has persisted despite repeated appeals from UN agencies for humanitarian access and protection.
Many diplomats and analysts believe that gender representation—particularly candidate models associated with empathy, inclusivity, and a focus on humanitarian issues—could be positively correlated with public trust in a UN perceived to be lagging in crisis leadership.
The power dynamics: United States, China, Russia, and the Security Council veto. Despite mounting support for a woman leader and the broader narrative of inclusion, the realpolitik of the Security Council will likely determine the final outcome. Under Article 97 of the UN Charter, the secretary‑general is appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council, where the five permanent members—the US, China, Russia, the United Kingdom, and France—hold veto power.
In October 2025, the US made its position clear. Deputy US Ambassador Dorothy Shea told the Security Council that the next leader should be chosen in a “purely merit‑based” process with as wide a pool of candidates as possible and that nominees should come from all regional groupings.
Russia’s Ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, has made the country’s perspective clear: gender is one of many factors, but “merit comes before gender,” and the customary practice of regional rotation should not be dismissed—a point underplayed in Washington.
But like Moscow, Beijing, too, wants to retain regional rotation while choosing the next secretary general.
Regional rotation and the Latin America factor. Another layer of complexity involves the informal but powerful norm of regional rotation, which has shaped past secretary general selections despite not being mandated by the UN Charter.
Latin American leaders have been outspoken about this.
Muslim women in the UN: A possible path. While no Muslim woman is currently an official candidate, several senior Muslim women hold influential roles within the UN system—showing that such a candidacy is possible under UN rules.
The process is inevitably shaped by power, politics, and compromise. The US’ strategic vision, Russia’s emphasis on merit and regional rotation, China’s newly expressed openness, and the fact that all permanent members wield veto power mean that the outcome is far from certain—even if a woman is now the most probable choice.
What is clear, however, is that this race is not simply about filling a leadership position: it is about what kind of UN the world wants at a time of profound global challenge. Dawn/Asia News Network
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Anwar Iqbal is a correspondent for Dawn, based in Washington.
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