UN Secretary-General: Macky Sall scores more points on the diplomatic stage (By Ibrahima Baba SALL)

Former Senegalese President Macky Sall's international campaign for the position of Secretary-General of the United Nations has taken on an increasingly concrete dimension. His recent meetings with the permanent representatives of three permanent members of the Security Council – France, the United States, and China – constitute a particularly significant diplomatic step.

By engaging in successive discussions with Jérôme Bonnafont, Michael Waltz, and Fu Cong, respectively the Permanent Representatives of France, the United States, and China to the UN Security Council, President Macky Sall demonstrated that he remains a credible interlocutor on the major challenges facing the multilateral system. The topics addressed—UN reform, contemporary challenges to multilateralism, and global governance—are precisely at the heart of the responsibilities of the future Secretary-General.

These meetings are of particular importance because the real balance of power lies primarily within the Security Council. In practice, the future Secretary-General cannot be imposed against the will of a permanent member: each of the five permanent members—the United States, China, Russia, France, and the United Kingdom—possesses decisive veto power. In other words, a candidacy may be technically sound and politically prominent, but remain vulnerable to the slightest sign of reservation, or even discreet opposition, from one of these actors. The fact that Macky Sall was able to secure meetings with three of them is therefore a significant step in his march toward the UN Secretary-Generalship.

The current context makes the equation even more complex. The permanent members are not simply looking for a competent candidate; above all, they are seeking someone acceptable to all, capable of protecting their interests without appearing to represent a single camp. In a Security Council rife with tensions between Washington and Beijing, the strains surrounding the war in Ukraine, and persistent rivalries over African and Middle Eastern issues, every candidacy is assessed based on its ability to avoid offending any major power. This is precisely where the main difficulty lies, a difficulty that President Macky Sall must turn into an opportunity to convince everyone that he can be an arbiter, and not a choice perceived as too close to one bloc or the other.

Beyond the meetings themselves, it is the candidate's profile that appears as an asset. With twelve years at the head of Senegal, former president of the African Union and recognized actor on issues of peace, security and development, President Macky Sall has experience that meets the requirements of a position calling for mediation, dialogue and consensus.

His chances remain real, even if the competition promises to be particularly fierce. The choice of the next Secretary-General will depend as much on geopolitical balances as on the personal qualities of the candidates. In an international context marked by tensions between major powers, regional conflicts, and the questioning of multilateralism, the profile of President Macky Sall, a man capable of engaging with all viewpoints, could be a major asset. But this quality alone is not enough: several concrete obstacles will also have to be overcome, starting with securing sufficiently broad African support, neutralizing any potential reluctance within the Security Council, and the ability to appear as a compromise candidate at a time when major powers often favor caution over boldness.

For Africa, this candidacy also represents a historic opportunity because President Macky Sall is among the most experienced and visible figures on the continent.

The consultations held in New York clearly demonstrate that Macky Sall's candidacy is being taken very seriously. While there is still a long way to go before the final decision, these initial contacts with key players in global diplomacy strengthen his credibility and confirm that he is now a serious contender whose candidacy deserves the full attention of Africa and the international community.

Looking ahead, we have faith in the future because he will use his talents as a great diplomat to transform these signals of listening into explicit support and avoid the blockages which, in the Security Council, often tip a promising candidacy into a deadlock.

Ibrahima Baba SALL

Former Vice-President of the National Assembly

Mayor of Bakel