MOSCOW, October 24. /TASS/. Russia expects that the election of a new UN Secretary-General will rid the organization’s Secretariat of Western dictate and "backroom deals," Kirill Logvinov, Director of the Department for International Organizations at the Russian Foreign Ministry, said on the occasion of United Nations Day.

"Serious problems within the UN’s operations cannot be ignored. Every effort must be made to restore a spirit of collegiality to the organization’s work, ensure strict adherence to the principles of its Charter in their entirety and interconnectedness, adapt UN mechanisms to today’s polycentric realities, abandon backroom deals in favor of honest and mutually respectful dialogue, strengthen the voice of the Global South, and rid the Secretariat of Western dictate. In this regard, we place particular hope in the election of a new UN Secretary-General," the diplomat wrote on his Telegram channel.

Logvinov emphasized that the UN is currently experiencing a "profound systemic crisis." "There is a growing tendency toward the politicization of the Secretariat’s work, the bureaucratization of decision-making mechanisms, inefficient budget spending, interference in the internal affairs of states, and the promotion of a neoliberal agenda. It is evident that a number of states are driven by an unrestrained desire to use the UN not to seek collective solutions, but solely to push through their own narrow, self-serving interests. As a result, the organization’s prestige and effectiveness are suffering significantly," the diplomat noted.

"We will continue to strive in every possible way for the full restoration of the UN’s authority and standing, so that its constructive potential may be realized to the fullest," he stated.

The term of Antonio Guterres, who has led the UN since 2017, expires on December 31, 2026. Members of the Security Council will select a candidate to recommend for the top UN post, after which the General Assembly will hold a vote to officially elect the new UN Secretary-General. As Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Alimov previously emphasized, Moscow does not express preferences regarding specific candidates, maintaining that the key requirement is for the candidate to meet the criteria of professionalism and impartiality. United Nations Day is marked on October 24.