6 UN secretary-general candidates debate ahead of vote
New: candidates need 9 Security Council votes and must clear vetoes from the five permanent members before going to the General Assembly.
Six candidates for UN Secretary-General took part in a debate session six months before Antonio Guterres' term ends. The forum gave contenders an early stage to lay out their agendas for leading the world body amid divisions among major powers. Under the rules, a candidate must win at least 9 votes from the 15 members of the UN Security Council before being sent to the General Assembly. The biggest hurdle remains the veto power held by the five permanent members: the United States, Britain, China, France and Russia. Among the names in the race are Michelle Bachelet, Maria Fernanda Espinosa and Rafael Grossi, the head of IAEA, who stands out for his experience handling Iran's nuclear issue and the Zaporizhzhia crisis in Ukraine.