Three Women Candidates Argue for Female UN Secretary-General
Michelle Bachelet of Chile, Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica, and Maria Fernanda Espinosa of Ecuador debated their candidacies to succeed UN Secretary-General António Guterres at an event in Geneva on Tuesday. The three women, along with two male candidates, are competing for the role as the UN faces funding shortfalls, multiple conflicts, and declining faith in multilateralism. The race is notable as no woman has ever led the United Nations in its 80-year history, with many member states and the candidates themselves arguing the time has come for that to change.
At a debate organized by independent organizations at the Maison de la Paix in Geneva, three female candidates vying to become the next UN Secretary-General argued that a woman should lead the organization for the first time in its history. Ecuadorian former foreign minister Maria Fernanda Espinosa said 'after 80 years, it's about time,' while stressing the next chief should be 'the best woman, not any woman.' Former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, 74, emphasized that women 'can bring more humanism' and pledged to be an independent secretary-general 'always on the ground,' though she faces potential opposition from U.S. Republican lawmakers over her support for abortion rights. Rebeca Grynspan, 70, current head of UNCTAD and former Costa Rican vice president, said she was running because she believed herself 'the best person for the job' and called for a selection process free from preferential treatment based on gender. Also invited to the debate were Argentina's Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and former Senegalese President Macky Sall, who participated via video message. The Security Council, where the five permanent members hold veto power, is expected to begin deliberations in late July, with a General Assembly vote to follow. Latin America is asserting a claim to the position based on a tradition of geographical rotation among regions.
What's missing
The articles do not detail the formal UN selection timeline beyond 'late July' for Security Council deliberations, nor do they address whether any permanent Security Council members have publicly signaled support for or opposition to specific candidates beyond the mention of U.S. Republican lawmakers targeting Bachelet.
What different sources said
- NDTVCenter
A Woman In-Charge Of UN? Candidates Say "After 80 Years, About Time"
- The Japan TimesCenter
A woman in charge of the U.N.? Candidates feel it’s about time.
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