Received at the Élysée Palace by French President Emmanuel Macron, former Senegalese president Macky Sall highlighted their shared views on the need for a more effective, representative, and responsive United Nations adapted to contemporary global challenges.
In a statement released on June 3, 2026, Sall confirmed the high-profile meeting, expressing his warm gratitude to President Macron for his hospitality and noting the fruitful nature of their exchanges. The former Senegalese head of state emphasized that both leaders share an ambitious vision of a reformed and revitalized UN capable of strengthening its structural efficiency and better meeting the expectations of peoples and states worldwide.
The Paris meeting comes at a pivotal moment, as Macky Sall is currently a major candidate in the race to become the next Secretary-General of the United Nations. In April, he appeared before the UN General Assembly as part of the formal selection process for the organization’s next chief, where he presented a platform focused on strengthening multilateralism and adapting the UN to fundamental shifts in the international system. Addressing member states during that session, Sall described a world facing systemic challenges, including geopolitical rivalries, armed conflicts, the severe impacts of climate change, socio-economic vulnerabilities, and rapid technological transformations like artificial intelligence.
To navigate these crises, Sall argued for a Secretary-General capable of fostering dialogue between states and rebuilding trust within an organization facing multiple institutional bottlenecks. He also advocated for a more proactive approach to preventive diplomacy, based heavily on early warning mechanisms, mediation, and stronger structural cooperation between the UN and regional organizations. Furthermore, the former president reaffirmed his strict commitment to human rights and called for the accelerated implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, emphasizing the urgent need to rethink global development financing mechanisms to better address challenges related to debt, inequality, and employment.
On the institutional front, Sall proposed a comprehensive UN reform based on the three guiding principles of streamlining, simplifying, and optimizing. He notably called for vastly improved coordination among the organization’s various agencies, funds, and programs, as well as a consensual reform of the Security Council to enhance its global legitimacy, authority, and effectiveness. This high-level diplomatic consultation takes place as the race to succeed current UN Secretary-General António Guterres, whose second term ends on December 31, 2026, intensifies. Four officially declared candidates—Macky Sall, former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, and former Costa Rican Vice-President Rebeca Grynspan—participated in interactive dialogues in April, followed by a fifth candidacy from former UN General Assembly President María Fernanda Espinosa in May. The next Secretary-General will begin a five-year term on January 1, 2027, following a selection process involving both the Security Council and the General Assembly.
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