Uganda has officially nominated veteran diplomat and former United Nations Under-Secretary-General Olara Otunnu for the position of Secretary-General of the United Nations.
In a letter dated July 24, 2026, Uganda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Adonia Ayebare, informed UN member states that the Government of Uganda had nominated Otunnu for the top UN position in accordance with Article 97 of the UN Charter and General Assembly Resolution 79/327 governing the selection of the next Secretary-General.
The communication, addressed to the President of the UN General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock, and the President of the UN Security Council, Ambassador Zénon Mukongo Nga of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, describes Otunnu as a seasoned international leader with more than four decades of experience in diplomacy and global governance.
According to the nomination, Otunnu’s career spans key leadership roles within the United Nations system and Uganda’s diplomatic service. He served as the first UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict from 1998 to 2005, where he spearheaded efforts to make the protection of children affected by war a standing priority on the UN Security Council’s agenda.
The letter credits him with designing the UN’s compliance and monitoring mechanism established under Security Council Resolution 1612 (2005), a framework that continues to guide international efforts to monitor and report grave violations against children in conflict zones.
Otunnu also previously served as Uganda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations between 1980 and 1985, during which he chaired the UN Security Council in December 1981. His career further includes serving as Uganda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and later as President of the International Peace Academy, now known as the International Peace Institute.
“The Republic of Uganda considers his breadth of experience, statesmanship and record of consensus-building essential to the Office of the Secretary-General at this juncture,” Ambassador Ayebare wrote.
The nomination package includes Otunnu’s vision statement and curriculum vitae. Uganda also noted that all activities related to his campaign for the UN’s top office will be financed using public resources.
The selection process for the next UN Secretary-General is expected to involve a series of informal dialogues with candidates before the Security Council recommends a nominee for appointment by the UN General Assembly.
If successful, Otunnu would become the first Ugandan to serve as Secretary-General of the United Nations. His nomination places Uganda among countries seeking to influence the leadership of the world’s premier multilateral organisation as it prepares for a new chapter after the current Secretary-General’s tenure comes to an end
He was President of the Uganda People’s Congress political party (UPC) from 2010 to 2015 and stood as the party’s candidate in the 2011 presidential election. Otunnu was Uganda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 1980 to 1985 and served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1985 to 1986.
Olara Otunnu is a distinguished international statesman who is widely acclaimed for his diplomatic acumen and negotiating skills. Currently President, LBL Foundation for Children and former UN Under-Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Otunnu has served as President of the International Peace Academy, Uganda’s minister of foreign affairs, Uganda’s permanent representative to the United Nations, president of the UN Security Council, chairman of the UN Commission on Human Rights, and vice president of the UN General Assembly. Otunnu was educated at King’s College, Budo; Makerere University; Oxford University; and Harvard University, where he was a Fulbright Scholar. Mr. Otunnu received several awards including the German Africa Prize (2002) and the Sydney Peace Prize (2005). He has been designated “Ombudsman for Children and Armed Conflict” by the International Children Jury for the World’s Children’s Prize for the Rights of the Child (WCPRC).
Born in Mucwini in Uganda, Olara Otunnu received his early education at Gulu High School and King’s College Budo. He then attended Mekerere University in Kampala (where he was president of the students union), Oxford University (where he was Overseas Scholar) and Harvard Law School (where he was Fullbright Scholar). Alawyer by training, he practiced law as an Associate with the law firm of Chadbourne and Parke in New York , prior to becoming Assistant Professor of law at Albany Law School.
In the 1970s, as president of Makerere students union and later as Secretary-General of Uganda Freedom Union, Mr. Otunnu played a leading role in the resistance against the regime of Idi Amin. At the Moshi Unity Conference on Uganda (1979), Mr. Otunnu was elected to serve as a member of the Uganda National Consultative Council, the interim administration in the post-Amin period (1979-1980).
From 1980 to 1985, Olara Otunnu served as Uganda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations. During his tenure, he played a very active role, providing leadership in various bodies, including President of the Security Council (1981), when he presided over the election of the Secretary-General; Chairman of the Commission on Human Rights (1983-1984); Vice-President of the General Assembly (1982-1983); and Chairman of the African Group (1981)
