United Nations secretary-general selection is the process of selecting the next secretary-general of the United Nations. To be selected as secretary-general, a candidate must receive the votes of at least nine members of the United Nations Security Council, with no vetoes from permanent members. The secretary-general is then appointed by a majority vote of the United Nations General Assembly.
Although the process is informally called an election,[1] the United Nations refers to it as the "procedure of selecting and appointing the next United Nations secretary-general."[2] Since the General Assembly has never refused to appoint the person recommended by the Security Council, it can be said that the selection of the Security Council determines the next secretary-general of the United Nations.