Review of Candidates for the United Nations Secretary-General Position

Apr 26, 2026, 04:32

Introduction

Four candidates have been interviewed by United Nations ambassadors to find a successor to Secretary-General António Guterres, whose term ends on January 1.

Main Body

The candidates—Michelle Bachelet of Chile, Rafael Grossi of Argentina, Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica, and Macky Sall of Senegal—discussed the main goals of peace, development, and human rights. Each candidate promised to reform the institution and improve international security. They noted that the UN is currently unable to resolve conflicts in regions such as Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, and Iran because of deep divisions within the organization. Strategic priorities differed among the nominees. Michelle Bachelet emphasized the need for active dialogue and a physical presence in conflict zones, while Rafael Grossi highlighted the need for strong leadership to fight global polarization. Rebeca Grynspan argued that the organization should stop avoiding risks, and Macky Sall presented himself as a mediator who could reduce international divisions. Some candidates faced specific political challenges. Bachelet responded to a letter from 28 U.S. Republican lawmakers regarding her views on reproductive rights, asserting her commitment to gender equality. Sall, the only candidate not from Latin America, argued that the UN Charter allows any candidate to run and suggested that leadership should move to the Global South. Furthermore, Sall denied corruption allegations that occurred during protests at UN headquarters.

Conclusion

The final selection depends on the decision of the UN Security Council, particularly the five permanent members with veto power, followed by formal approval from the General Assembly.

Vocabulary Learning

allegations (n.)
statements, made without giving proof, that someone has done something wrong or illegal指控；指稱
Example:The politician denied all allegations of corruption and insisted that he had done nothing wrong.
institution (n.)
a large and important organization, such as a university or bank機構；團體
Example:The United Nations is an international institution dedicated to maintaining world peace.
mediator (n.)
a person who tries to help two groups stop arguing and agree with each other調解人；斡旋者
Example:The diplomat acted as a mediator between the two warring nations to help them reach a peace treaty.
polarization (n.)
the act of dividing into two sharply contrasting groups or sets of opinions兩極分化
Example:The political polarization in the country has made it difficult for the government to pass new laws.
successor (n.)
a person or thing that succeeds another繼任者；接替的人
Example:The board of directors is currently searching for a suitable successor to the retiring CEO.

Sentence Learning

Four candidates have been interviewed by United Nations ambassadors to find a successor to Secretary-General António Guterres, whose term ends on January 1.
Passive Voice & Relative Clause: The passive voice "have been interviewed" focuses on the candidates, while the relative clause starting with "whose" provides essential details about the predecessor.被動語態與關係子句: 被動語態「have been interviewed」將焦點置於候選人身上，而以「whose」引導的關係子句則提供了關於前任秘書長的必要細節。
They noted that the UN is currently unable to resolve conflicts in regions such as Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, and Iran because of deep divisions within the organization.
Noun Clause & Cause/Reason: The reporting verb "noted" is followed by a "that" clause to state a situation, while "because of" introduces the reason behind it.名詞子句與原因表達: 報導動詞「noted」後接「that」子句以陳述情況，而「because of」則引出背後的原因。
Michelle Bachelet emphasized the need for active dialogue and a physical presence in conflict zones, while Rafael Grossi highlighted the need for strong leadership to fight global polarization.
Linking Word for Contrast: The conjunction "while" is used to contrast two different viewpoints or strategies within the same sentence.對比連接詞: 連接詞「while」用於在同一句子中對比兩種不同的觀點或策略。
Sall, the only candidate not from Latin America, argued that the UN Charter allows any candidate to run and suggested that leadership should move to the Global South.
Appositive & Parallel Reporting Verbs: An appositive phrase adds information about the subject, followed by two parallel "that" clauses to report multiple ideas.同位語與並列報導動詞: 同位語短語增加了關於主語的資訊，隨後使用兩個並列的「that」子句來轉述多個想法。
The final selection depends on the decision of the UN Security Council, particularly the five permanent members with veto power, followed by formal approval from the General Assembly.
Participle Phrase for Sequencing: The phrase "followed by" uses a past participle to describe a sequence of formal procedures without starting a new sentence.分詞短語表示先後次序: 短語「followed by」使用過去分詞來描述一系列正式程序，而無需另起新句。