GENEVA (AN) — Leading candidates to become the next secretary-general of the United Nations used the first globally televised debate of the 2026 race to argue that the organization must become more responsive, less bureaucratic and better equipped to address challenges ranging from conflict and climate change to artificial intelligence.
Speaking before more than 500 diplomats, students, civil society representatives and international officials on Tuesday at Geneva's Maison de la Paix, former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet, former Ecuadorian foreign minister María Fernanda Espinosa and UNCTAD secretary-general, Rebeca Grynspan, outlined competing visions for leading the organization at a time when multilateral institutions face growing political pressure, mounting financial constraints and declining public trust.
