TASS FACTBOX. Public hearings for candidates for the post of UN Secretary-General will begin on April 21, 2026, during which they will present their programs. The election of a new Secretary-General is scheduled for July 2026. The term of Antonio Guterres, who has held the post since 2017, expires on December 31, 2026. Four candidates will participate in the hearings, which will be held via webcast. These are former President of Chile and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Rebeca Grynspan (Costa Rica), Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi (Argentina), and former President of Senegal Macky Sall. TASS FACTBOX editors have prepared an overview of the candidates for the post of UN Secretary-General and the gist of their programs.
Michelle Bachelet (born 1951) studied medicine at the University of Chile. After Augusto Pinochet seized power in 1973 in a government coup, she emigrated to East Germany, where she continued her education at Humboldt University. After the fall of the dictatorship, she served as assistant to the deputy minister of health from 1994 to 1997. After completing specialized courses in national and continental defense at the National Academy of Political Studies (Chile) and the Inter-American Defense College (Washington, D.C.), in 1998 she took up the post of adviser in the Chilean Ministry of Defense. From 2000 to 2002, she served as minister of health. From 2002 to 2004, she led the Ministry of Defense, becoming the first woman in South America to hold such a position.
