After a decade in power, Antonio Guterres, will end his second term as UN Secretary-General on December 31. There are currently six candidates lining up to replace him. Whoever emerges victorious has a tough task, with the relevance, power and financial capability of the UN under an increasingly harsh spotlight.
The UN Secretary-General is "equal parts diplomat and advocate, civil servant and CEO," according to the organization itself. The holder of the position oversees several vital UN organs, including the Security Council, charged with maintaining peace and security.The 80-year-old UN is struggling for relevance — here's whyTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
The winning candidate will be selected by the UN's General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council (whose permanent members are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States), making the path to victory narrow and fraught.
Here's what you need to know about each candidate ahead of a debate between them on Thursday (July 23) at the UN's General Assembly Hall in New York.
Michelle Bachelet
