UN Organization
Selection of the next Secretary-General at UNGA 81
Raised by 75 of 223 speakers. Read verbatim UN transcript quotes and select a time to hear the speech.
Speeches that raised selection of the next secretary-general
Spain · Day 2Pedro Sánchez Pérez-CastejónAt the end of the day, the future of our children is more important than the pockets of these tech oligarchs.
Of course, doing all of these things will require compromise, time, strong leadership being able to build agreements, to listen, to look beyond our known reality and imagine a better alternative.
And what I'm advocating for, for this leadership, is very clear.
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Timor-Leste · Day 2José Ramos-HortaYou brought to the office neither an ego in constant need of reassurance nor a vanity requiring daily attention.
You have remained humble, honest, and steadfast in your principles, never losing sight of the millions of women and children who have been abandoned and forgotten, caught in the turmoil of wars unleashed by warlords.
As these wars drag on and their human and material costs become ever more unbearable, the firefighters are blamed for failing to extinguish the very fires set by the arsonists themselves.
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Latvia · Day 2Edgars RinkēvičsIts composition must better reflect the world of today, not the world of 1945.
Latvia supports an expanded and more representative Security Council.
Excellencies, reform is also about leadership.
2passages
Romania · Day 2Nicuşor-Daniel DanSince 1991, Romania has contributed to United Nations peacekeeping missions through political support, troop and equipment contributions, as well as through training blue helmets and close protection officers.
Romania also attaches great importance to the role of the International Organization of La Francophonie in promoting peace and security.
With the majority of its 90 members located in Africa, the OIF supports mediation, electoral monitoring, and peacebuilding in fragile contexts.
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Paraguay · Day 2Santiago Peña PalaciosParaguay wishes to shoulder greater responsibilities within the system, but this system as it stands simply isn't working.
That is why we believe that the selection of the next Secretary-General will be a fundamental decision.
The time has come for that leadership to come from Latin America and the Caribbean.
2passages
Dominican Republic · Day 2Luis Rodolfo Abinader CoronaThis year, we were one of the first countries to fully pay our contribution to the regular budget.
Renewing representation requires a Security Council that looks more like the multipolar world of the present.
and it also requires thinking about who will lead this organization next.
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Botswana · Day 2Duma Gideon BokoMr. President, Botswana warmly congratulates you on your election to preside over the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.
We assure you of our full support as you shoulder this important responsibility.
We also commend the outgoing president for a distinguished stewardship.
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Bulgaria · Day 2Iliana IotovaThe Pact for the Future provides an important guideline, but it must be supported by real reform.
The Security Council ought to reflect the world of today with more equitable regional representation and greater legitimacy and effectiveness.
Bulgaria is in favor of an enlargement of the Council's two membership categories, including with at least one additional non-permanent seat for the group of Eastern European states.
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Namibia · Day 2Netumbo Nandi-NdaitwahWe commend him for overseeing the largest part of the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that have energized international support, including the actions in the Pact for the Future.
Namibia stands ready to work with the incoming Secretary-General.
However, let me point out that since the establishment of the United Nations in 1945, no woman has served a Secretary-General of the Organization.
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Slovakia · Day 2Peter PellegriniWe already have knowledge.
But what we need now is the will to use them.
This year, the United Nations will choose its next Secretary-General.
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Uganda · Day 2Jessica Rose Epel AlupoAs the chair of NAM, Uganda continues to uphold the principles of unity, peace and solidarity among developing nations.
We remain dedicated to advancing the International Covenant on the Right to Development, aiming to transform the 1986 declaration into a binding operational instrument that tackles structural global inequalities.
We look forward to hosting the ministers of NAM member states and observers at the ministerial meeting of the NAM Coordinating Bureau in Kampala from December 2nd to 4th, 2026.
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Burundi · Day 2Évariste NdayishimiyePresident, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, As part of this process of reform, strengthening and consolidation of our organization, Burundi also wishes to contribute to the debate on the selection process for the next Secretary-General of the United Nations.
In the current international context, marked by deep geopolitical divisions and growing challenges to multilateralism, This process must be conducted in a spirit of transparency, openness, and collective responsibility.
Burundi believes that this process must be based above all on qualifications, experience, integrity, independence of judgment, diplomatic skill, and the ability to bring together the positions of all member states.
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Czechia · Day 2Petr PavelAnd they also matter in the Middle East, in Sudan, or DRC.
The current developments in Yemen and Saudi Arabia demonstrate what happens when rules give way to force and coercion, when might replaces right, and how a regional conflict can, in an instant, have consequences for the entire world.
Ladies and gentlemen, as Secretary-General Antonio Guterres nears the end of his mandate, We commend his efforts to reform and modernize the United Nations.
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Estonia · Day 2Alar KarisThis year, the United Nations is set to make arguably one of its most consequential decisions, the selection and appointment of its next Secretary-General.
As an active member of the accountability, coherence and transparency group, Estonia has stood for transparent, fair and inclusive process.
At this challenging time for the organization, we need a strong and principled leader with an impeccable track record in championing and upholding international law, human rights and the principles of a charter.
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Panama · Day 2José Raúl Mulino QuinteroWe are at a turning point in our history.
The election of the next Secretary-General will be of paramount importance to determine the next agenda, to ensure robust, lasting trust, of course, in the understanding of the new global balance, if you can call it that.
That is why we believe that the war in Ukraine must end.
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Kenya · Day 2William Samoei RutoMr. Secretary-General, as you approach the conclusion of your stewardship of this great organization, Africa recognizes your steadfast advocacy for a fairer international financial architecture, greater African representation, and a stronger voice for the Global South.
You have reminded the world that dignity, equality, and representation are not favors, but principles to be upheld.
And perhaps the greatest tribute to your stewardship will be to turn the reforms you championed into reality.
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Mozambique · Day 2Daniel Francisco ChapoToday, in the process of the national dialogue.
Thank you so much, UN.
The trust of Mozambique is a result of a living memory of the Mozambican people.
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Andorra · Day 2Xavier Espot ZamoraBut the most important reform is to ensure that this organization remains a space where states not only defend their legitimate interests, but are also capable of exercising a shared responsibility to address the great challenges facing humanity, and above all, continue to believe that what unites us is stronger than what divides us.
I would like to also offer a few words of recognition to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Since 2017, he has exercised his mandate during one of the most difficult and uncertain periods the international community has known, consistently defending the principles of the UN Charter and reminding us, even when it seemed most difficult, that multilateralism remains the best hope for preserving peace and cooperation among peoples, as well as human dignity.
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Democratic Republic of the Congo · Day 2Judith Suminwa Tulukain order to make the Council more representative, more legitimate, and ultimately more effective.
This need for representation goes hand in hand with a need for responsibility, and it is in this spirit that the DRC intends to fully exercise its responsibility when it comes to choosing the next Secretary-General.
whose mandate ought to be part of the transformation of our organization and help adapt it to the priorities of a world in profound evolution.
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Italy · Day 2Antonio TajaniToo often, this organization appears powerless.
For far too long, its reform has been held back by competing interests.
Italy wants a Security Council that is more legitimate, more representative, and more accountable to all member states.
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