NEW YORK, August 19, 2026 — Uganda’s candidate for United Nations Secretary-General, Dr Olara Otunnu, is taking his campaign directly to the UN General Assembly today as he participates in an interactive dialogue with member states in New York.
The engagement marks a significant stage in Uganda’s bid to secure the world’s top diplomatic post, with Otunnu expected to present his vision for the United Nations and respond to questions from representatives of member states.
Wednesday’s interactive dialogue is scheduled for Wednesday, August 19, as part of the process established for selecting the successor to António Guterres, whose second term as UN Secretary-General ends on December 31, 2026. The United Nations has confirmed the additional interactive dialogue with Otunnu for August 19.
Otunnu was formally nominated by Uganda on July 24, 2026, becoming the seventh candidate to enter the race at that stage.
The selection process was formally launched through a joint letter by the Presidents of the General Assembly and Security Council on November 25, 2025.
Under Article 97 of the UN Charter, the Secretary-General is appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council.
The General Assembly dialogue provides Otunnu with an opportunity to engage the wider UN membership before the process moves further into the Security Council, where candidates face informal polling and eventually the crucial recommendation process.
Transparency and fairness
Otunnu’s appearance comes amid renewed discussion among UN member states over the transparency and predictability of the Secretary-General selection process.
A major issue has been whether candidates should participate in General Assembly and Security Council interactive dialogues before being subjected to Security Council straw polls.
The Security Council allowed Otunnu to participate in its first informal straw poll on July 30 despite his nomination coming only days earlier and before he had taken part in the General Assembly dialogue. The decision attracted criticism from some member states concerned about maintaining a standardised and predictable process.
The first straw poll was conducted confidentially among the 15 members of the Security Council. Reports of the results indicated that Otunnu received two “encourage” votes, five “discourage” votes and eight “no opinion” votes. Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan led the field with 10 “encourage” votes.
The straw poll results are not a formal vote and do not determine the eventual winner, but they provide an indication of the level of support for candidates within the Security Council.
Uganda’s diplomatic push
Otunnu’s appearance before the General Assembly follows an intensified diplomatic campaign by Uganda.
Foreign Affairs Minister Ambassador Adonia Ayebare recently announced that Otunnu was travelling to New York accompanied by former Prime Minister Dr Ruhakana Rugunda, who is leading the campaign.
The Ugandan delegation is seeking to engage UN member states and build support for Otunnu’s candidacy as the selection process advances.
Otunnu brings extensive experience within the United Nations system. He previously served as UN Under-Secretary-General and Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict and earlier represented Uganda at the United Nations.
He also has a unique connection to the Secretary-General selection process. During his tenure as Uganda’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Otunnu served as President of the Security Council in 1981 and developed the informal straw-poll mechanism that subsequently became an important feature of the selection process.
The race has since expanded, with eight candidates now reported to be in contention following the entry of Ecuadorian diplomat Ivonne Baki, who was nominated by Tonga on August 18.
For Uganda, Otunnu’s appearance before the General Assembly represents a crucial opportunity to make his case directly to the wider UN membership.
The process will ultimately culminate in the Security Council recommending a candidate to the General Assembly, which has the formal authority under Article 97 to appoint the next Secretary-General.
Otunnu is also expected to engage the Security Council on August 20, giving Uganda’s campaign two consecutive days of high-level engagement at the United Nations.
With the race expected to intensify in the coming weeks, Otunnu’s performance in the interactive dialogue could provide an important opportunity to strengthen his profile and rally wider support for Uganda’s bid.
