"A new UN Secretary-General in a Moment of Uncertainty – Why Process and Outcome matter"

A new Secretary-General will lead the United Nations (UN) starting January 2027. This comes at a time of unprecedented shocks for the UN. Severe budgetary challenges have resulted in the current Secretary-General's talk of "imminent financial collapse", and longtime albeit legitimate critique of the UN's unequal power distribution as well as dysfunctionality particularly in the realms of peace and climate change has further intensified. 

The 1 for 8 Billion campaign has been extensively engaged to ensure an open and inclusive selection process for the next UN Secretary-General, with genuine involvement by all UN Member States and civil society. 

Germany is one of the largest contributors to the UN, is home to many UN institutions, and contributes to UN peacekeeping missions and programs. Its commitment to the UN was recently reaffirmed by the Federal Foreign Minister. 

In this panel discussion, we would like to shed light on the selection process for a new Secretary-General and the quality of leadership necessary. We will also delve into Germany's stance vis à vis these dynamics as well as deliver an African country's perspective on these questions.