The process to elect the next United Nations secretary-general formally kicked off on Tuesday as member states were asked to nominate candidates to take over the role from January 1, 2027.

Axar.az informs, citing Reuters, in a joint letter, the 15-member Security Council and the president of the 193-member General Assembly invited nominations, marking the start of the race to replace Antonio Guterres as the world body's chief administrator.

"Noting with regret that no woman has ever held the position of Secretary-General, and convinced of the need to guarantee equal opportunities for women and men in gaining access to senior decision-making positions, member states are encourgaged to strongly consider nominating women as candidates," they wrote. "We note the importance of regional diversity in the selection of Secretaries-General."

The 15-member Security Council will formally recommend a candidate to the 193-member General Assembly for election as the 10th U.N. secretary-general later next year.

Publicly declared candidates for the role include Chile's former President Michelle Bachelet, the former Vice President of Costa Rica Rebeca Grynspan, and Argentinian diplomat Rafael Grossi.

Ultimately, the five permanent veto-wielding council members - the United States, Russia, Britain, China and France - must agree on a candidate.