The race for the next UN Secretary-General enters a decisive phase: the Security Council's first straw polls are expected in the last week of July. Two weeks before that milestone, the second pillar of President Macky Sall's vision deserves a close read: renewing and revitalizing multilateralism.

Its centerpiece is Security Council reform. In the official vision statement filed with the United Nations in March, President Macky Sall commits to working towards a realistic, consensus-based reform of the Council, one that strengthens its representativeness and legitimacy while preserving its capacity to act.

Every word matters. Realistic: Council reform has been debated for decades; the candidate offers a method, not a slogan. Consensus-based: nothing will be achieved against member states, everything with them. Representativeness: the Council's format is largely inherited from 1945, in a world that has profoundly changed.

The pillar goes beyond the Council. It calls for a reinvigorated General Assembly with a rationalized agenda, a stronger coordinating role for ECOSOC on development activities, and closer cooperation between the UN and regional organizations, especially on conflict prevention and resolution.

The method is that of a facilitator. President Macky Sall pledges to be a bridge-builder between member states, civil society and the private sector, on challenges old and new: peace and security, migration, cross-border health threats, and the rapid rise of technologies such as artificial intelligence. His vision keeps the fight against violence targeting women and girls, their empowerment and support for youth at the heart of the international agenda.

The calendar makes this pillar timely. According to the Security Council Report, Council members are continuing their private consultations with candidates, opened on 30 June, ahead of the first straw polls. Six candidates are competing to succeed António Guterres, whose term ends on 31 December 2026.

President Macky Sall is the only declared African candidate in the race. No African has led the Organization since Boutros Boutros-Ghali, thirty years ago. His central argument stands: a reformed, streamlined and modernized UN that delivers results governments can defend before their citizens.

The full vision statement is available at www.mackysall.net.