Next UN Chief Must Own Peacemaking — Starting With Sudan, Experts Argue

At a live podcast taping by Foreign Policy, during the UN General Assembly, two of the world's leading foreign policy voices laid out a blunt framework for the incoming 10th Secretary-General: pick one conflict and prove the office still matters, delegate everything else, and stop talking so much.

• Sudan named as the defining test for the next Secretary-General, with the International Crisis Group president calling it a "geopolitical catastrophe" at the intersection of humanitarian collapse, proxy warfare, and regional fragmentation

• Panelists urge incoming UN chief to hire a strong COO and stop micromanaging budget cuts and internal operations

• Historian warns the SG must stop commenting on every issue, citing the need to restore the office's "dignity and mystery"

• New global poll: 9 in 10 people say no nation can tackle threats alone, and 61% want the first woman to serve as Secretary-General

• Audience presses on AI, youth, and faltering SDGs — panelists respond that ending 65 active conflicts must come first

Why it matters: The next Secretary-General will take office amid 65 active armed conflicts and the prospect of UN bankruptcy — making early peacemaking credibility essential to the institution's survival and relevance.