Uganda has put forward veteran diplomat Olara Otunnu, 75, as its candidate to succeed António Guterres as UN Secretary-General, making him the seventh contender in the race. Otunnu previously served as a UN under-secretary-general with a focus on children in conflict zones, as well as Uganda's foreign minister and its ambassador to the UN. The selection process will be decided by the 15-member UN Security Council through a series of anonymous votes, with the winning candidate requiring at least nine votes and no veto from any of the five permanent members before being formally appointed by the General Assembly — with the new secretary-general set to take office on 1 January 2027.