The President of the General Assembly, with the support of a media partner, will convene a townhall with candidates for the position of UN Secretary-General on 23 July and invites the participation of civil society. The townhall will be broadcast worldwide by the media partner. The townhall will be distinct from the dialogues with individual candidates, featuring a discussion with groups of candidates during the event.
The President of the General Assembly invites Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and other relevant stakeholders to attend the townhall in New York.
Interested organizations may register to attend the townhall in person at the United Nations Headquarters in New York and can express their interest in submitting a question. The deadline to register is 16 July 2026, 23:59 EDT.
The process for civil society registration is designed to ensure fair access, as well as broad, inclusive participation, considering the high-level interest in the townhall.
Information about the candidates, the selection and appointment processes is available on the dedicated UN website: https://www.un.org/en/sg-selection-and-appointment.
In-Person Participation
Civil Society Organizations seeking in-person participation must indicate if they wish to submit a question. CSOs are asked to submit the question in writing through this registration form.
Please note that due to time and capacity constraints, a limited number of questions from the floor will be selected. CSOs will be informed by 20 July whether their question has been selected.
Please note:
- Registering and submitting a question does not guarantee selection. All approved registrants will be contacted with further information for in-person participation.
- Registrants whose question is selected will be notified via e-mail by 20 July.
- Seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Once the capacity of the room is reached interested individuals may follow the townhall through the live stream.
- Anyone interested in following the townhall virtually will be able to do so through the online broadcast. Further information on how to access the broadcast will be published on the dedicated UN website.
- Questions selected for the debate should not be published or shared prior to the event.
- Participation in this event is on a self-funded basis. All travel, accommodation, visa, insurance, and other related expenses are the sole responsibility of participants. The United Nations does not provide financial or logistical support for participation unless explicitly indicated otherwise by the organizers.