NEW YORK – Uganda has officially nominated veteran diplomat and former United Nations Under-Secretary-General Olara Otunnu for the position of the next Secretary-General of the United Nations, positioning the seasoned statesman to succeed the current UN chief when the selection process concludes.
The nomination was formally communicated in a letter dated 24 July 2026 from Uganda’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, signed by Ambassador Adonia Ayebare, Uganda’s Permanent Representative to the UN.
Addressed to the President of the UN General Assembly, H.E. Annalena Baerbock, and the President of the UN Security Council, H.E. Zénon Mukongo Nga, the letter states that Uganda has nominated Mr. Otunnu in accordance with Article 97 of the UN Charter and UN General Assembly Resolution 79/327, which govern the appointment of the UN Secretary-General.
In presenting the candidature, Uganda highlighted Otunnu’s more than four decades of leadership within the United Nations system and the broader international community.
The government noted that Otunnu served as the first UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict from 1998 to 2005, where he championed the protection of children affected by war and helped establish the UN’s compliance and monitoring mechanism under Security Council Resolution 1612 (2005), which remains operational today.
His distinguished career also includes serving as Uganda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations between 1980 and 1985, during which he presided over the UN Security Council in December 1981.
Beyond the UN, Otunnu has served as Uganda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and later as President of the International Peace Academy, now known as the International Peace Institute.
Uganda said his extensive experience, statesmanship and proven ability to build consensus reflect the qualities required to lead the United Nations at a critical moment for the international community.
The letter further states that Otunnu’s vision statement and curriculum vitae have been submitted alongside the nomination and notes that activities related to his candidacy will be financed through public resources.
Otunnu becomes Uganda’s official candidate for one of the world’s most influential diplomatic positions as UN member states begin the process of selecting the organisation’s next Secretary-General.
