United Nations, United States: The six candidates for United Nations secretary-general will debate Thursday in the symbolic General Assembly Hall, one week before the formal start of a selection process crucial to an organization in deep crisis.
With the campaign lacking a clear favorite and struggling to generate real enthusiasm, the hopefuls will face 90 minutes of questions from diplomats, UN employees and civil society representatives at an event starting at 5pm (2100 GMT) and broadcast by Bloomberg.
Chile's Michelle Bachelet, Ecuador's Maria Fernanda Espinosa, Rafael Grossi of Argentina, Costa Rican Rebeca Grynspan, Guyana's Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett and Macky Sall of Senegal are all in the running to succeed outgoing Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
"This UN town hall will ... provide a rare opportunity to engage with the ideas, priorities and leadership vision of the candidates for one of the world's most important positions," General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock said.
"In an increasingly fragmented world, the United Nations needs not only an exceptional chief administrator who will make the organization fit for the 21st century but also the leadership and integrity of someone willing to vigorously defend the UN Charter and all its three pillars," she added.
The United Nations is facing a profound financial and confidence crisis, with US President Donald Trump's administration accusing it of spending recklessly, spreading itself too thin and failing to deliver satisfactory results.
The United States is therefore demanding a return to the organization's fundamental purposes of peace and security, while other states stress the equal importance of its other two pillars: human rights and development.
