Poll: The Mandate for the Next UN Secretary-General
Right before the 81st UN General Assembly and as the Security Council prepares to select the next UN Secretary-General, a 20-country poll from the United Nations Foundation explores whether the public trusts the international system to deliver and what it wants from the UN’s next leader.
The findings cover public hopes and priorities for global action; confidence in the UN and the drivers of its credibility; and awareness of the leadership race, including views on electing the first woman Secretary-General.
The UN is relevant, but perceived as underperforming on delivery. A clear majority (84%) believe the UN remains necessary today, though more than half (52%) add the caveat that it is struggling to deliver results. Only 13% view the UN as outdated and no longer necessary.
Citizens fear for their future in a turbulent world. Nearly 6 in 10 respondents (57%) are worried about the future. Older generations are the most pessimistic (64% worried), while young adults (18–34) are the most optimistic (37% hopeful).
Conflict prevention tops public priorities. When asked to select their top three priorities for global cooperation, more than half of respondents (58%) named preventing and ending armed conflicts. This was followed by reducing poverty and inequality (45%), taking climate action (40%), protecting human rights (35%), and managing the global economy (29%).
A majority trusts the UN to deliver, but with a North-South divide. Nearly 6 in 10 respondents (58%) trust the UN and other international institutions to make progress on the challenges that matter to them most, but 39% are skeptical. Trust in institutions’ ability to deliver is higher in the Global South (65%) than the Global North (44%). Only 13% believe the UN is outdated and no longer necessary in the modern world.
The public wants an outward-facing leader. While demand for renewal of the UN is high, only 17% want the next Secretary-General to focus primarily on internal reform. Instead, citizens want a leader who looks outward: a diplomat (28%) to end wars, a crisis manager (26%) for global emergencies, or a moral voice (25%) to speak out on human rights and existential threats.
The UN leadership race has yet to break through. Most global citizens (85%) have heard little to nothing about the selection of a new Secretary-General. While official candidates are not entirely unknown (averaging 19% name recognition), they have yet to achieve wider public visibility.
Demand for a historic first. Six in ten respondents (61%) say it is important for the next UN Secretary-General to be a woman. Support for a woman leader is highest among women (68%), young adults aged 18–34 (68%), and respondents across the Global South (70%).
Expert Analysis and Commentary on the UN Leadership Race
Dive into a new platform featuring ideas, analysis, and perspectives on the future of global cooperation. Curated by the UN Foundation and featuring diverse voices, [Re]Group: A Playbook for Turbulent Times debuts with a focus on the future of the UN and the race for Secretary-General – often described as the world’s toughest job.
