KAMPALA — The Government of Uganda has nominated Ambassador Olara Otunnu, a veteran diplomat and former United Nations senior official, as its candidate for the position of Secretary-General of the United Nations.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the candidature on Sunday, July 26, 2026, describing Ambassador Otunnu as a statesman with more than four decades of experience in international diplomacy, governance, peacebuilding, and human rights.
“Ambassador Otunnu brings to this candidature over four decades of distinguished service at the highest levels of international diplomacy, having served both within the United Nations system and in senior leadership roles across government, academia, and civil society,” the Ministry said in a statement.
Otunnu served as United Nations Under-Secretary-General and became 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 establish global mechanisms for protecting children affected by armed conflict, including the monitoring and reporting framework adopted by the UN Security Council through Resolution 1612 in 2005.
The Ugandan diplomat previously served as Uganda’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 1980 to 1985. In December 1981, he served as President of the UN Security Council, where he introduced a straw-balloting system for selecting the UN Secretary-General.
The procedure later became known as the “Otunnu Formula” and has since influenced subsequent UN Secretary-General selection processes.
At the national level, Otunnu served as Uganda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs between 1985 and 1986 and was a member of the Uganda National Consultative Council during the transitional period following the overthrow of former President Idi Amin.
Beyond government and the UN, he served as President of the International Peace Academy, now known as the International Peace Institute, from 1990 to 1998. He has also held academic positions at institutions including Albany Law School, the American University in Paris, and the Institut Français des Relations Internationales.
His work in international peace and human rights has earned him several recognitions, 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 been involved in community-based peacebuilding through Roco Paco, an initiative he co-leads with Chief Justice Emeritus Justice Alfonse Chigamoy Owiny-Dollo, focusing on reconciliation and rebuilding communities affected by decades of conflict in northern Uganda.
Otunnu holds a Bachelor’s degree in Jurisprudence from the University of Oxford and a Master of Laws degree from Harvard Law School. He speaks English, French, and Luo.
The Ugandan government said his experience across the UN Secretariat, Security Council, national government, academia, and grassroots peacebuilding positions him as a strong candidate to lead the world body at a time of complex global challenges.
“The Government of Uganda is confident that Ambassador Otunnu’s unique breadth of experience makes him exceptionally well suited to lead the United Nations at this critical juncture in global affairs,” the statement said.
The term of the current UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, expires on December 31, 2026. Uganda has appealed to UN member states to support Otunnu’s candidature.
The announcement was signed by Vincent Waiswa Bagiire, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.