By Alpha Barry*
At a time when multilateralism is facing an unprecedented credibility crisis, the next Secretary-General of the United Nations must be more than just an administrator: they must be an authority for dialogue, a conscience of balance, and a trusted actor. In this perspective, the candidacy of Macky Sall, former President of Senegal, deserves great attention.
The world is not only experiencing an accumulation of crises. It is facing a crisis of confidence in the mechanisms meant to prevent, contain, or resolve them. Wars are escalating. Geopolitical rifts are deepening. Multilateral institutions remain essential, but their political and moral authority is increasingly challenged. As tensions worsen, one thing becomes clear: the international system suffers less from a deficit of structures than from a deficit of trust.
It is in this spirit that the succession at the helm of the United Nations must be considered. The choice of the next Secretary-General cannot be reduced to a mere institutional mechanism. It represents one of the great political tests of our time: does the international community want to prolong the balances of the past, or finally give itself a leadership commensurate with the world as it has become? In my view, the prospect of a candidacy by Macky Sall deserves to be taken very seriously.
Not out of convenience.
But out of clarity.
A rare profile for a disordered world
Today, few profiles combine the qualities required to serve as the Secretary-General of the United Nations with such density. What sets apart a credible candidacy at this level is not just the experience of power. It is the ability to have traversed, in the same journey, several dimensions of contemporary leadership: state governance, international diplomacy, crisis management, political negotiation, defense of the interests of the Global South, and the ability to engage with major powers without losing one’s autonomy. It is precisely this rare combination that distinguishes Macky Sall. Having myself held diplomatic responsibilities at the highest level, I have had the privilege of witnessing his leadership in various African and international forums. I have seen his capacity to listen, persuade, and unite. I have also seen him advocate for African interests with a voice heard well beyond the continent. As President of Senegal for twelve years, former Chairperson of the African Union, and a recognized interlocutor in major global forums, Macky Sall belongs to the rare category of leaders who have wielded national power while also assuming a continental presence and an affirmed international stature. And this is precisely what the United Nations will need in the years to come.
A voice that has addressed the major imbalances of the world
The future Secretary-General of the UN must be able to understand the major contemporary fractures in all their dimensions: economic, climate-related, health-related, food-related, security-related, and geopolitical. What sets Macky Sall apart is precisely his commitment to these major issues. On debt and financing for African economies, he has consistently advocated for a fairer reform of the international financial architecture. He has notably argued that IMF Special Drawing Rights could be mobilized in a more useful and equitable manner to serve African public finances. On climate issues, he has consistently emphasized that there can be no climate justice without financial justice, without funding for adaptation, without equitable energy transition, and without recognition of the right to development for African countries.
Even today, as President of the Global Center for Adaptation, he continues to uphold this stance coherently. On health issues, the Covid-19 pandemic has revealed deep imbalances in global solidarity. In this moment, Macky Sall has advocated clearly for vaccine equity, health sovereignty, and strengthening African capacities for vaccine and pharmaceutical production. On the Russia-Ukraine war, in 2022, as the incumbent Chairperson of the African Union, he initiated the first African diplomatic efforts with a dual demand: to promote dialogue and secure supplies of essential cereals and fertilizers for Africa. On Africa’s representation in global governance, his commitment has also been significant.
The admission of the African Union to the G20 in September 2023 marked a historic advancement, to which his advocacy provided a decisive impetus. On the Sahel and the fight against terrorism, Macky Sall has consistently advocated for an approach based on solidarity, security, and understanding the root causes of instability. This commitment has also translated into concrete actions, including through the support of Senegal and the UEMOA to the countries most affected by terrorism, as well as constant engagement in regional frameworks.
A mediator in a polarized world
One of the most serious threats facing the United Nations today is the paralysis caused by polarization. The next Secretary-General must be able to speak to all without being perceived as aligned with one camp. They must be able to be heard in Washington without being disqualified in Beijing, respected in Brussels without losing credibility in Addis Ababa, listened to in Moscow as well as in Kiev, in the capitals of the South as well as in those of the North.
In other words, a mediator will be needed.
And it is precisely this quality of balance, restraint, and dialogue that gives a candidacy like Macky Sall’s its full significance. Because it must also be clearly stated: Macky Sall has never only defended Africa. He has engaged with the entire world — with major powers as well as emerging countries, with international financial institutions as well as regional organizations, with the North as well as the South. This ability to articulate a coherent voice in multiple spaces at once is now one of the most sought-after qualities for the United Nations.
A candidacy of responsibility
In view of the crises and challenges facing our world, it is undeniable that the UN remains indispensable. But it will only regain its full strength if it regains its legitimacy. Its next Secretary-General must therefore uphold a clear line: restoring the credibility of multilateralism through greater fairness, coherence, listening, and justice in addressing the vulnerabilities of the world.
In the years to come, the United Nations will need a personality capable of understanding the world as it is, without abandoning the ideal of what it should be. It will therefore need a leadership of balance. A voice of responsibility. An authority of trust. And it must be said clearly: there are few personalities today who present, with such coherence, such a comprehensive background, such familiarity with the major issues of the world, and such a proven ability to combine state experience, international credibility, and a sense of dialogue.
This is why Macky Sall’s candidacy for the position of Secretary-General of the United Nations deserves to be taken seriously, with ambition and with a sense of responsibility demanded by our time. The world needs a more listened-to UN. The UN needs a stronger voice. And that voice, tomorrow, could come from Africa, carried by a voice of experience, balance, and responsibility — a voice respected in the world: that of Macky Sall.
*Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Burkina Faso (January 2016 – December 2021)
