The United States says the next United Nations Secretary-General should be chosen based on merit.

It has invited candidates from all regional groupings to apply.

The selection of the UN chief is traditionally done on a rotational basis and next in line would have been Latin America and the Caribbean.

But, US Deputy Ambassador Dorothy Shea has signalled that this is not a priority.

Ambassador Shea told the Security Council meeting marking the 80th anniversary of the organisation on UN Day that the position should be purely merit-based with as wide a pool of candidates as possible, further inviting candidates from all regional groupings.

The next SG will be selected next year to replace Antonio Guterres, amid a push for his successor to be a woman, which would be a first.

Candidates will be nominated by member states, and the process will begin to unfold when the Presidents of both the General Assembly and the Security Council send joint letters inviting nominations.