Press Release:
The Next United Nations Secretary-General: First Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Town Hall in a Decade Opens Selection Process to Global Audience
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New York, 22 July 2026?¨C The President of the United Nations General Assembly, with the support of Bloomberg, will organize and host the?¡°Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Town Hall: The Next Secretary-General¡±?on?Thursday, 23 July 2026 from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. (EDT), offering a unique opportunity for a global audience to hear from all six candidates seeking to become the next Secretary-General of the United Nations.
The 90-minute televised discussion marks the first United Nations Town Hall with candidates for Secretary-General in a decade, reviving an important platform for transparency, accountability, and public engagement in the selection of the Organization¡¯s next leader.
Broadcast live and globally from the General Assembly Hall in New York, the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Town Hall will bring people around the world into the heart of the United Nations at a pivotal moment for multilateralism. The six official candidates, Michelle Bachelet, Mar¨ªa Fernanda Espinosa, Rafael Mariano Grossi, Rebeca Grynspan, Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett and Macky Sall, will present their visions for the future of the Organization and respond to questions from journalists and the audience about the most pressing challenges facing the international community.
The Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Town Hall reflects the commitment of the President of the General Assembly to a transparent and inclusive selection process.
¡°This Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Town Hall will open the doors of the General Assembly Hall to a global audience and provide a rare opportunity to engage with the ideas, priorities, and leadership vision of the candidates for one of the world¡¯s most important positions. In an increasingly fragmented world, the United Nations needs not only an exceptional Chief Administrator who will make the Organization fit for the 21st?century but also the leadership and integrity of someone willing to vigorously defend the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Charter and all its three pillars,¡± H.E. Ms. Annalena Baerbock, President of the General Assembly, said.
The Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Town Hall will be led and moderated by Bloomberg anchors, Ms. Haslinda Amin and Mr. Romaine Bostick, and broadcast on Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Web TV live and on demand and across Bloomberg’s platforms and Bloomberg on demand channels.
Additional information on the selection and appointment process is available Here.