A Ugandan statesman has entered the contest to become the next secretary-general of the United Nations, joining six other candidates vying to succeed Antonio Guterres at the end of the year. Olara Otunnu, 75, is a veteran of the UN system who was nominated by Uganda and is currently in New York to meet with UN General Assembly and Security Council delegations.
Otunnu, who had to seek visa assistance due to current U.S. restrictions on Ugandans traveling to the U.S. amid Ebola prevention measures, has been retired since an unsuccessful bid for the Ugandan presidency in 2011. He had previously been a contender to replace Boutros Boutros-Ghali in 1997 but was reportedly blocked by Ugandan authorities at the time. Kofi Annan was ultimately selected for the role.
Annan later appointed Otunnu as a UN under-secretary-general and his special representative for children and armed conflict from 1997 to 2005. During his tenure, he received the Sydney Peace Prize for his work protecting children in war zones and aiding their reintegration after conflict. Otunnu is an alumnus of Oxford and Harvard Law School and previously served as Uganda’s representative to the UN from 1980 to 1985, including a term as president of the Security Council. He also briefly held the position of Uganda’s foreign minister.
Otunnu highlighted the UN's primary mandate of peace and security and noted his role in designing the straw-balloting system for Security Council selections, known as the Otunnu Formula, which was first used for the 1981 selection of Javier Pérez de Cuéllar. However, the timing of Uganda's nomination of Otunnu, several weeks after other candidates began their presentations, remains unclear.
A traditional rotation by region typically favors candidates from Latin America for this cycle, though there is no formal obstacle to candidates from other regions. Analysts consider Otunnu a potential "dark horse" or "fall-back candidate" should the leading Latin American contender face a veto.
Other candidates in the running include Macky Sall of Senegal, Michelle Bachelet of Chile, Rafael Grossi of Argentina, Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica, Maria Fernanda Espinosa of Ecuador, and Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett of Guyana. The selection process involves the 15-nation Security Council, with its five permanent, veto-wielding members playing a crucial role, followed by final approval from the 193-member General Assembly. The new secretary-general is expected to assume duties on January 1.