The U.S. Secretary of State said today that he had discussed with the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, the process of selecting the next Secretary-General of the United Nations and reiterated the will of the United States for a “reform” of the organization.
© Mark Schiefelbein / POOL / AFP via Getty Images
09/11/2026
by
Lusa
O u.S. Secretary of State stated today that he had discussed with the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, the process of selecting the next Secretary-General of the United Nations and reiterated the will of the United States for a “reform” of the organization.
“ We're following the process closely. At the end of the day, what interests us more than anything is that it is someone committed to the reform of the UN,” Marco Rubio told the press shortly after meeting with the French President in the margins of a G7 meeting in Paris.
“ I think this is one of the things that will save the UN, that will reform itself. If you don't, you're in big trouble. And we want someone in the position of Secretary-General who is committed, really committed to the reform”, he added.
The US Secretary of State argued that the United States was supporting a particular candidate, who would then be “condemned to lose”.
“ We're looking at two or three very qualified people. Let the vote continue on this. And at some point, the world will decide who it wants”, he added.
Rebeca Grynspan, from Costa Rica, aged 70, who headed the United Nations Agency for Trade and Development (UNCTAD), won on October 30 in an indicative vote by the Security Council, in front of former Foreign Minister of Guyana, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, current head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, from Argentina, and Lana Nusseibeh, from the United Arab Emirates.
The US Secretary of State and the French President also discussed the situation in Lebanon, where the United Nations (UNIFIL) mission ends on December 31.
“The goal is to have a credible group on the ground able to verify who respects what under the agreements [signed in June between Israel and Lebanon]. It does not necessarily have to be a military mission, as was UNIFIL (...). It can be a civil mission”, said Rubio, without further details.
According to Paris, France seeks to establish the “modalities of international presence” in Lebanon after the end of the UN Security Council’s mandate under American pressure.
Paris wants, together with Rome, to create a multinational force to succeed FINUL.