From 100 to 1,000 Days: The Next UN Secretary-General
A strategic agenda for the first 1,000 days of the next United Nations leadership, built from a Latin America and the Caribbean perspective.
The next person to lead the UN Secretariat inherits the most powerful role in multilateralism at one of its most critical junctures. The convergence of the UN80 process, the Pact for the Future, FfD4, and the post-2030 transition opens a genuine window for reform of the multilateral system.
That window closes in December, when a new Secretary-General takes office. Between June and the first days of the new mandate, Cepei and its partners move from research to direct engagement: regional consultations across three geographies, followed by high-level briefings with the incoming Secretary-General and transition team. The full timeline is below.
Explore documents, findings, and follow-up for diplomats, and connect with UN technical teams, and civil society organizations specializing in multilateral reform.
Priorities for the First 1,000 Days:
- Make power visible through transparency
- Realign money and governance
- Democratize decision-making
- Strengthen coordination
Key Resources on the Next Secretary-General’s Agenda
- Governing the ungovernable: A strategic policy brief written directly for the next UN Secretary-General. Five concrete priorities for the first 1,000 days, grounded in more than 150 surveys and 80 interviews with diplomats, UN staff, and civil society.
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The Next UN Secretary-General: Leadership, Politics, and the First 100 and 1000 days: The conclusions from the convening organized by Cepei and partners, where former heads of state, diplomats, Global South think tanks, and philanthropy discussed the profile and priorities of the next SG.
Events
For the first time, all five Latin American and Caribbean candidates for UN Secretary-General came together in one space. On August 3, from Montevideo, the “Regional Dialogue on the Future Leadership of the United Nations,” co-organized by Cepei, opened an unprecedented conversation on the future of multilateralism.
Upcoming Milestones
Within the Ford-supported Transition Framework for the Next Secretary-General, the coming months take Cepei from regional consultations across Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa–MENA, and Asia–Pacific to high-level briefings with the incoming UN leadership. Beyond these, Cepei will carry its work into the Secretary-General’s first 1,000 days, translating regional perspectives into concrete actions.
Partners
