Rafael Grossi, the head of the UN's nuclear watchdog, has said he wants to become UN secretary general through sober diplomacy rather than finger-wagging.
Addressing a press briefing in Vienna, he said: "In my opinion, the secretary general is not there like a lay pope or a judge. The secretary general is there to solve problems."
The 65-year-old Argentinian head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is one of the best-known figures among the candidates.
"I believe in a hands-on secretary general more than one that raises fingers and points," he said.
Current Secretary General António Guterres is known for openly addressing alleged violations of international rules, an approach that has repeatedly put him at odds with Israel, among others.
Grossi stressed to international media representatives that as the UN's top representative, one had to remain in dialogue with senior political figures. If someone was labelled a criminal, dialogue broke down without any problem being solved.
Grossi cited his mediating role between Russia and Ukraine as an example of his approach.
As IAEA chief, he has negotiated several limited ceasefires in the front-line area around the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant to allow repairs to be carried out to prevent a nuclear accident. In doing so, he has avoided condemning Russia as the occupying power of the Ukrainian plant.
Five candidates in total are running for the post of UN secretary general. Alongside Grossi, they are former Chilean president and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet; former Ecuadorian foreign minister María Fernanda Espinosa; former Costa Rican vice-president Rebeca Grynspan; and former Senegalese president Macky Sall.
Guterres' successor is expected to be chosen before the end of the year.
