U.S. Urged to Take Leading Role as UN Secretary-General Race Shifts Left
NEW YORK — December 5, 2025 — As the United Nations begins the process to select a successor to Secretary-General António Guterres, experts are urging the Trump administration to actively engage in the race to ensure the next leader aligns with U.S. and Western values. Guterres’ term ends on December 31, 2026, and his tenure has faced criticism, particularly regarding perceived bias in conflicts such as those involving Israel.
According to analysts, the pool of candidates currently emerging for the 2026 replacement largely consists of U.N. insiders or left-leaning politicians, many of whom may not be acceptable to the United States. Brett Schaefer, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, noted that few of the announced or rumored candidates would likely receive U.S. support at this stage.
Jonathan Wachtel, a former communications director and senior policy advisor at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, highlighted the ongoing challenges the U.S. faces within the U.N. Security Council, where Russia and China hold veto power. He emphasized the need for a secretary-general with strong leadership and conviction to uphold the founding ideals of the U.N., including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Anne Bayefsky, director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust and president of Human Rights Voices, stressed the importance of U.S. involvement given its status as the largest financial contributor to the U.N. and the proximity of U.N. headquarters to the U.S. financial capital. She warned that the U.N. is viewed by some as a “fifth column,” underscoring the stakes for American interests.
With the selection process underway and member states nominating candidates aligned with their national interests, experts agree that the Trump administration must take a proactive stance to influence the outcome. The next secretary-general’s leadership will be critical amid ongoing global conflicts and institutional challenges facing the United Nations.
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