In its May 2026 "In Hindsight" analysis, the Security Council Report set out the detailed timeline for the UN Secretary-General selection 2026. The reference publication describes the stages that will lead to the designation of António Guterres's successor. Six official candidates are in the race, and President Macky Sall is one of them.
The first public stage took place on 22 April 2026 in New York, where the official candidates appeared before the General Assembly for their "interactive dialogues". Often described as the candidates' oral examination, the exercise allows Member States and civil society to question each contender. President Macky Sall presented his vision, "Rebuilding multilateralism for a better world", submitted to the United Nations in March 2026, then answered the delegations' questions with precision and clarity.
Next comes the decisive phase, in the Security Council. The Council opened its private consultations on 30 June, and the first indicative votes, known as straw polls, are expected in the last week of July. These informal ballots measure the support each candidate enjoys among the Council's fifteen members and shape the rest of the selection.
In the autumn, the Security Council will recommend a candidate to the General Assembly, which will then make the formal appointment. The next Secretary-General's term will begin on 1 January 2027, leaving the future head of the Organization time to prepare for office.
President Macky Sall is approaching each of these deadlines with method. He continues his consultations with Member States from every region, listening to them before setting out his approach. His vision for the United Nations places the reform of multilateralism, development financing and conflict prevention at the heart of the Organization's priorities.
Twelve years as Head of State of Senegal gave him the experience of government and decision-making that so demanding a selection requires. His chairmanship of the African Union in 2022 placed him at the centre of major global issues such as food security and mediation between powers. This statesman's record underpins a solid candidacy, driven by a simple conviction: the United Nations must once again be the place where the world settles its disputes and builds its common future.