For a world mired in conflict and desperate for an unbiased interlocutor, the election of the next United Nations secretary-general couldn’t have come at a better time. The U.N.’s top boss is expected to be the peacemaker-in-chief, at least in theory, and perhaps more importantly, the guardian of a collective moral compass, regardless of national affiliations. Are any of the eight candidates up to the task?

As the race heats up, a former U.N. diplomat, who spoke with Foreign Policy on condition of anonymity, quipped that the key question is whether the P5—the permanent five Security Council members, which each hold a veto—want a secretary or a general.

For a world mired in conflict and desperate for an unbiased interlocutor, the election of the next United Nations secretary-general couldn’t have come at a better time. The U.N.’s top boss is expected to be the peacemaker-in-chief, at least in theory, and perhaps more importantly, the guardian of a collective moral compass, regardless of national affiliations. Are any of the eight candidates up to the task?

As the race heats up, a former U.N. diplomat, who spoke with Foreign Policy on condition of anonymity, quipped that the key question is whether the P5—the permanent five Security Council members, which each hold a veto—want a secretary or a general.

A general might take a hands-on approach to the various conflicts engulfing the world and try to revive an institution struggling to remain relevant as regional actors offer mediation services while the U.N. itself is bogged down by its own bureaucracy and undermined by the United States, its biggest sponsor.

But the powerful countries that have the most say in the ultimate decision seem to prefer a secretary—someone who can manage the clashing interests of global powers without grabbing attention.

The sitting U.N. chief, António Guterres, has had a tough ride under U.S. President Donald Trump, who has made no secret of his contempt for everything that the United Nations stands for: respect for due process, human rights, international law, and equal status for all in the family of nations. Guterres’s successor can expect to navigate a minefield, as the United States openly links its funding to further national interests as Trump sees fit.

However, Trump’s lack of faith and transactional approach won’t be the only problem.

China is the second-biggest contributor, rising from contributing 1 percent of the costs in 2000 to 20 percent this year—comparable to the United States’ 22 percent. China is also assessed to contribute more than 23 percent of the budget that goes toward the organization’s peacekeeping forces, a little under the United States’ 26 percent.

Insiders say that Beijing is clamoring for a bigger say. Meanwhile, Russia intends to continue exploiting its position on the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) to gain leverage in other theaters. The United Kingdom and France also hold a veto, but their geopolitical weight is less of a factor and isn’t expected to sway the election.

The selection process has begun, with two rounds of straw or informal votes having already been held by the 15 members of the Security Council—a process undertaken to determine whether any of the........

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