Uganda nominates Olara Otunnu for united Nations Secretary-General position
The nomination, announced on Sunday, July 26, 2026, by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, marks Uganda’s bid to have one of its citizens lead the world’s largest international organisation.
KAMPALA — The Government of Uganda has officially nominated veteran diplomat and former Foreign Affairs Minister Ambassador Olara Otunnu as its candidate for the position of United Nations Secretary-General.
The nomination, announced on Sunday, July 26, 2026, by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, marks Uganda’s bid to have one of its citizens lead the world’s largest international organisation.
In a statement, the Ministry described Otunnu as a distinguished statesman with more than four decades of experience in international diplomacy, government service, academia and peacebuilding.
The government said his extensive experience within the United Nations system and Uganda’s foreign service makes him a suitable candidate to lead the UN at a time when the world faces growing security, humanitarian and development challenges.
Otunnu previously served as the United Nations Under-Secretary-General and was the first Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, a position he held from 1998 to 2005. During his tenure, he helped place the protection of children affected by armed conflict at the centre of the UN Security Council’s agenda and contributed to the development of the monitoring and reporting mechanism established under Security Council Resolution 1612.
His diplomatic career also includes serving as Uganda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 1980 to 1985. While presiding over the UN Security Council in December 1981, Otunnu introduced the informal straw-ballot voting procedure used to assess candidates for Secretary-General, a process later referred to as the “Otunnu Formula
At the national level, Otunnu served as Uganda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1985 to 1986 and was a member of the Uganda National Consultative Council during the transitional period following the fall of Idi Amin’s government.
Beyond government service, he headed the International Peace Academy, now known as the International Peace Institute, as president from 1990 to 1998. He has also held academic positions at Albany Law School, the American University in Paris and the Institut Français des Relations Internationales.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs highlighted Otunnu’s contributions to peace, human rights and international cooperation, noting that he has received several international honours, including the Sydney Peace Prize in 2005, the German Africa Prize in 2002 and the Harvard Law School Alumni Association Award in 2007.
In recent years, Otunnu has co-led the Roco Paco peacebuilding initiative with Chief Justice Emeritus Alfonse Chigamoy Owiny-Dollo, focusing on reconciliation and rebuilding communities affected by decades of conflict in northern Uganda.
An Oxford University graduate in jurisprudence and holder of a Master of Laws degree from Harvard Law School, Otunnu is fluent in English, French and Luo.
The Ministry said Uganda believes his experience in the UN Secretariat, Security Council, national government, academia and grassroots peacebuilding uniquely positions him to lead the organisation during a critical period in global affairs.
The current UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, is expected to complete his second term on December 31, 2026. Uganda has appealed to United Nations member states to support Otunnu’s candidature as the selection process begins.
