UNITED NATIONS, July 23 (Xinhua) -- A town hall meeting was held Thursday for the six candidates for the next UN secretary-general, allowing them to reach a global audience.

The meeting, organized by UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock, with the support of media company Bloomberg, was streamed live on UN Web TV and Bloomberg platforms.

"Today marks a critical step in the selection of the next secretary-general of the United Nations, probably one of the most challenging but also most honorable jobs in the world," said Baerbock in her opening remarks.

"The person we choose will not only be the face of this house of humanity but also its custodian. She or he will stand up for the United Nations Charter and all three pillars -- peace and security, sustainable development and human rights -- in a time of unprecedented challenges yet also new opportunities," she said.

The six candidates -- Michelle Bachelet, former Chilean president and former UN high commissioner for human rights; Maria Fernanda Espinosa, former UN General Assembly president and former foreign minister and defense minister of Ecuador; Rafael Mariano Grossi of Argentina, current director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency; Rebeca Grynspan, former vice president of Costa Rica; Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett, Guyana's permanent representative to the United Nations; Macky Sall, former president of Senegal -- attended the meeting and answered questions from both Bloomberg mediators and audience members.

At the end of the meeting, the six candidates were asked to outline their priorities for their first 100 days as UN secretary-general if elected.

The term of the current UN secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, expires at the end of this year. The next secretary-general will take over on Jan. 1, 2027. ■