UN Secretary-General Race: Macky Sall Withdraws Candidacy Citing Push for Female, Latin American Leader
Former Senegalese President Macky Sall has announced his official withdrawal from the race to become the next United Nations Secretary-General.
Sall’s decision, communicated via an official statement on Saturday, October 17, 2026, follows an informal UN straw vote held on October 16, 2026.
After high-level consultations with Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye (the current Chair of the African Union) and Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye (the current Chair of ECOWAS), Sall decided to step aside to pave the way for a consensus candidate.
In his official statement issued from Marrakech, Sall noted that consecutive test votes within the UN Security Council clearly signal a strong preference for a leader from the Latin American and Caribbean region, with a specific emphasis on electing a female Secretary-General.
“I made this decision with a deep sense of responsibility, hoping to contribute to the emergence of a consensual candidacy within the Security Council,” Sall stated. He added that his initial bid was fueled by a desire to channel his nearly 40 years of public service into transforming the global body.
Sall expressed profound gratitude to President Ndayishimiye for sponsoring his candidacy and President Faye for his diplomatic backing. He also extended thanks to the Security Council member states that voted for him, his campaign team, religious and customary authorities, and his supporters across Senegal and the broader international community.
A Call for Global Governance Reform
Despite stepping down, the veteran diplomat stressed that the United Nations must undergo a profound structural transformation to tackle worsening geopolitical rivalries, multiplying conflicts, and severe economic fragmentation.
He emphasized that Africa must remain assertive in demanding its rightful place in global governance. “I withdraw my candidacy, but remain fully committed to the service of the ideals that inspired it: peace, security, economic and social development, international cooperation, and dialogue between nations,” Sall concluded, wishing success to the eventual nominee.
