The search for the next UN Secretary-General has reached its decisive phase. Ant\u00f3nio Guterres, in office since 2017, must give up the position at the end of 2026. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The election is considered one of the most important personnel decisions of the United Nations in years, as the organization is under considerable pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The UN is currently struggling with several problems at once: tight finances, bloated bureaucracy, reputational damage, and internal trench warfare between member states. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Richard Gowan, director for global affairs and institutions at the International Crisis Group, put it succinctly: anyone who wants this job practically needs a psychiatric evaluation first, given how high the demands and pressure are. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The new leader will take over an organization that must coordinate 193 member states but often suffers from a lack of capacity to act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Traditionally, the office of Secretary-General rotates between world regions, and according to sources within the UN, it is expected this time that a woman from Eastern Europe could take over the post, since that region has never been represented before<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Security Council, with its five permanent members, the US, Russia, China, Great Britain, and France, plays a key role in the selection, since each of these countries can veto candidates. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Austria will be represented on this body without veto power for 2 years starting in 2027. The lobbying has consumed millions of euros.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The General Assembly formally confirms the election but traditionally has little influence on the actual selection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The future Secretary-General must mediate between the great powers while conflicts in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Africa put pressure on the organization. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the same time, many member states are behind on their contribution payments, which limits the UN's operational capacity. The US is traditionally the largest contributor to the regular UN budget, with a share of about 22 percent, followed by China with around 15 percent. If an important payer fails to pay its contributions, the consequences affect the entire organization, from peace missions to humanitarian programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Austria, which hosts one of the four UN headquarters in Vienna and is traditionally an active advocate of multilateralism, this personnel decision has direct relevance. A functional UN headquarters also affects the work of the UN organizations based in Vienna, such as the International Atomic Energy Agency or the Office on Drugs and Crime. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Around 5,000 people work at the UN site in Vienna, which is one of the country's most economically significant international locations. How strongly the future leadership pushes forward reforms will therefore also have consequences for Vienna as a business location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n