Will Macky Sall be the next Secretary-General of the United Nations?

Prediction markets put the probability at 6%: Will Macky Sall be the next Secretary-General of the United Nations. Currently, markets see this as unlikely (6% YES). The race for UN secretary-general is on From right: Michelle Bachelet, Rebeca Grynspan, Macky Sall and Rafael Grossi.

What’s Happening

Senegal’s government formally announced on July 20, 2026 that it would back former President Macky Sall in his bid to become the next Secretary-General of the United Nations, reversing its earlier stance just three days after Sall met with his successor in Dakar. The endorsement removes a significant diplomatic obstacle for Sall, who served as Senegal’s president from 2012 to 2024 and is currently the only African and the only non-Latin American candidate in the race to succeed Antonio Guterres, whose term ends on December 31, 2026. Sall has positioned himself as a reformer, pledging during a July 23 town hall in New York to restore trust in an organization able to “listen, act and bring people together,” placing effectiveness and dialogue at the heart of his campaign. [France 24, Jul 20]

The race for the UN’s top job entered its final and murkiest stretch in late July, with the Security Council beginning straw polls this week. Historical precedent suggests multiple rounds of polling could continue through the summer, with a final decision expected in late September or early October, though the process could extend longer if no consensus candidate emerges. Sall faces a crowded field that includes former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, former Ecuadorean Foreign Minister Maria Fernanda Espinosa, UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi, and Costa Rican diplomat Rebeca Grynspan, as well as Ugandan diplomat Olara Otunnu, who entered the race in late July. Despite measures adopted to make the selection process more transparent, sources with inside knowledge say opacity will prevail, with straw-poll results kept confidential and vetoes cast by permanent Security Council members remaining a decisive factor. [Geneva Solutions, Jul 26]

Sall’s candidacy for the macky sall next secretary-general of the united nations position gained momentum after Senegal’s endorsement, but his path remains difficult given the traditional regional rotation system for the UN’s top post. The last three secretaries-general came from Europe, Asia, and Africa, and many member states argue the next chief should come from Latin America or the Caribbean — a region that has never held the office. Sall, however, has argued that Africa deserves a second consecutive term, pointing to the continent’s growing demographic weight and its outsized share of UN peacekeeping missions. The Security Council’s first straw poll results are expected within days, and while Sall’s probability of securing the role stands at just 6% according to current market assessments, his campaign has pledged to push through multiple rounds of voting, with the final decision likely to hinge on whether any candidate can secure the required nine votes in the Security Council without a veto from any of the five permanent members. [Al Jazeera, Jul 30]

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