The selection process for the successor to António Guterres, whose term concludes on 31 December 2026, formally opened in November 2025 and features several officially nominated candidates who have completed interactive dialogues with member states. Rafael Grossi leads trader assessments owing to his six years as IAEA Director General, where he managed high-stakes nuclear diplomacy including repeated missions to Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia plant and direct engagement across conflict lines. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, nominated by Antigua and Barbuda on 11 May 2026, has risen sharply following that recent entry and her prior General Assembly presidency. Rebeca Grynspan and Michelle Bachelet draw support from their extensive multilateral records and Latin American backing, while the Security Council’s eventual recommendation and General Assembly vote remain the decisive steps that could shift outcomes before the 2027 transition.