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Why Otunnu is the best choice for UN Secretary-General job
Otunnu has the integrity, independence, and commitment to ethical leadership needed to restore confidence in the UN. His African background also provides valuable Global South perspectives, while his career demonstrates a genuinely global outlook.
Why Otunnu is the best choice for UN Secretary-General job
By: Admin ., Journalist @New Vision
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OPINION
By Dr Opiyo Oloya
At the Thanksgiving for then-outgoing Uganda’s Chief Justice Alfonse Chigamoy Owiny-Dollo on July 12, 2025, at the Patongo Akwer Primary School playground in Patongo town council, I sat next to Dr Olara Otunnu, currently a candidate to replace outgoing United Nations’ Secretary-General António Guterres. As we waited for the celebration to begin, I spent time chatting with Otunnu. He was focused on how to make an impact on society. He was pushing for the Rocco Paco (Rejuvenating the Homestead), a project uplifting the Acholi region, arguing that the time was now to put in place infrastructure supporting the development of the region, which has not recovered from decades-long wars.
“We are to blame if we can only identify the problem, talk about it but choose to do nothing about it,” he told me.
That is quintessential Otunnu, whose lifelong journey has been the preoccupation with the urgency of transforming society for the better and who is willing to put in the work to achieve positive outcomes. This can-do attitude will be critical for success for whoever replaces Secretary-General António Guterres.
Among the many daunting crises facing the UN since its founding in post-World War II
that the incoming UN leader must deal with is an increasingly fractured world marked by geopolitical rivalry, armed conflicts, economic instability, technological disruption and declining confidence in multilateral institutions. The wars in Ukraine, Gaza, Iran, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan all need the immediate attention of the Security Council. The same must be said about other human-generated crises, including climate change (with fires burning out of control in Europe and the Americas due to extreme dry conditions), drought, food insecurity and an increasingly impoverished world.
What makes the work of the next Secretary-General even more difficult, complicated and thankless is the constant bickering among those traditionally seen as allies of the UN, who kept the organisation afloat with generous contributions through all these years. Under the leadership of President Donald Trump, for example, the once staunch support from the US cannot be counted on. The Europeans, meanwhile, are pulled by the war in Ukraine, which they are working to contain but which threatens to spill out with each passing day.
Essentially, this is the perfect storm, one aptly described by the title of Chinua Achebe’s book, Things Fall Apart, where the centre can no longer hold, and the constituent parts are pulling in every direction.
It’s in this context that Olara’s candidature makes the most sense. Although he is entering the race later than the others, among the distinguished individuals being considered about the future leadership of the organisation — Rebeca Grynspan (Costa Rica), Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett (Guyana), Rafael Grossi (Argentina) — Otunnu brings to the table the most credible leadership and requisite skills needed to lead the world’s forum for peaceful coexistence.
that the incoming UN leader must deal with is an increasingly fractured world marked by geopolitical rivalry, armed conflicts, economic instability, technological disruption and declining confidence in multilateral institutions. The wars in Ukraine, Gaza, Iran, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan all need the immediate attention of the Security Council. The same must be said about other human-generated crises, including climate change (with fires burning out of control in Europe and the Americas due to extreme dry conditions), drought, food insecurity and an increasingly impoverished world.
What makes the work of the next Secretary-General even more difficult, complicated and thankless is the constant bickering among those traditionally seen as allies of the UN, who kept the organisation afloat with generous contributions through all these years. Under the leadership of President Donald Trump, for example, the once staunch support from the US cannot be counted on. The Europeans, meanwhile, are pulled by the war in Ukraine, which they are working to contain but which threatens to spill out with each passing day.
Essentially, this is the perfect storm, one aptly described by the title of Chinua Achebe’s book, Things Fall Apart, where the centre can no longer hold, and the constituent parts are pulling in every direction.
It’s in this context that Olara’s candidature makes the most sense. Although he is entering the race later than the others, among the distinguished individuals being considered about the future leadership of the organisation — Rebeca Grynspan (Costa Rica), Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett (Guyana), Rafael Grossi (Argentina) — Otunnu brings to the table the most credible leadership and requisite skills needed to lead the world’s forum for peaceful coexistence.
Soft-spoken yet passionate and visionary, Otunnu brings to the position decades of distinguished leadership in diplomacy, international peacebuilding and humanitarian affairs. Possessing a deeply piercing intellect, he is quick to assess issues, get to the essence of them and then deploy practical leadership and unwavering commitment to find resolutions. With his stellar background and experience serving both within the UN and as Uganda’s Permanent Representative to the UN, he has an intimate understanding of the organisation’s strengths, limitations and potential for reform. His institutional knowledge would enable him to lead effectively from the outset without the steep learning curve often faced by newcomers.
Coming to bat one more time for the world, one of Otunnu’s greatest strengths is his wide experience within the UN. When he was appointment as the UN Under-Secretary General and Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, facing a plethora of issues to protect the most vulnerable in society, Otunnu used his superpower as an extraordinary listener to engage various stakeholders to find practical solutions in Uganda, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka and the DR Congo.
In that capacity, he successfully elevated the plight of children affected by war from a humanitarian concern to a central issue on the global peace and security agenda. He established the practice of listing parties that recruit children or use child soldiers, including the Lord’s Resistance Army, whose exploits impacted thousands of children in Uganda, Sudan, DR Congo, Central African Republic and Chad.
More importantly, given the fraught and fractious relationships among the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council — China, France, Russia, UK and the US — the next Secretary General must be trusted by all parties and yet not afraid to speak truth to power. Otunnu is that person. He has the integrity, independence, and commitment to ethical leadership needed to restore confidence in the UN. His African background also provides valuable Global South perspectives, while his career demonstrates a genuinely global outlook. When the moment calls for saying it like it is — and there will be many such moments — Otunnu will speak, negotiate, bargain, persuade and cajole the world leaders to come together for the greater good.
Yes, the job is difficult, almost impossible, but the one thing it needs most is someone who brings the lived experience and who knows what it is like to live under difficult conditions, combined with deep institutional knowledge of how systems work, topped with the soft touch of diplomacy — all which Otunnu possesses in abundance.
Ultimately, picking the next UN Secretary General will be guided as much by merit, experience, vision and the ability to unite a divided world as by the backroom manoeuvre by the Big Five and other members of the UN. Otunnu’s distinguished service within the UN, diplomatic expertise, constructive relationships with the permanent members of the Security Council, and unwavering commitment to peace and multilateral co-operation make him an exceptionally strong candidate to succeed António Guterres.
The writer is the inaugural associate vice-president of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) at Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
Coming to bat one more time for the world, one of Otunnu’s greatest strengths is his wide experience within the UN. When he was appointment as the UN Under-Secretary General and Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, facing a plethora of issues to protect the most vulnerable in society, Otunnu used his superpower as an extraordinary listener to engage various stakeholders to find practical solutions in Uganda, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka and the DR Congo.
In that capacity, he successfully elevated the plight of children affected by war from a humanitarian concern to a central issue on the global peace and security agenda. He established the practice of listing parties that recruit children or use child soldiers, including the Lord’s Resistance Army, whose exploits impacted thousands of children in Uganda, Sudan, DR Congo, Central African Republic and Chad.
More importantly, given the fraught and fractious relationships among the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council — China, France, Russia, UK and the US — the next Secretary General must be trusted by all parties and yet not afraid to speak truth to power. Otunnu is that person. He has the integrity, independence, and commitment to ethical leadership needed to restore confidence in the UN. His African background also provides valuable Global South perspectives, while his career demonstrates a genuinely global outlook. When the moment calls for saying it like it is — and there will be many such moments — Otunnu will speak, negotiate, bargain, persuade and cajole the world leaders to come together for the greater good.
Yes, the job is difficult, almost impossible, but the one thing it needs most is someone who brings the lived experience and who knows what it is like to live under difficult conditions, combined with deep institutional knowledge of how systems work, topped with the soft touch of diplomacy — all which Otunnu possesses in abundance.
Ultimately, picking the next UN Secretary General will be guided as much by merit, experience, vision and the ability to unite a divided world as by the backroom manoeuvre by the Big Five and other members of the UN. Otunnu’s distinguished service within the UN, diplomatic expertise, constructive relationships with the permanent members of the Security Council, and unwavering commitment to peace and multilateral co-operation make him an exceptionally strong candidate to succeed António Guterres.
The writer is the inaugural associate vice-president of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) at Western University, London, Ontario, Canada