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Six Candidates Seek to Restore UN Credibility Amid Global Crises
The six candidates seeking to become the next United Nations secretary-general have pledged to restore trust and credibility in an organization struggling to respond to wars and global crises, as they faced diplomats, UN staff and civil society representatives in a debate Thursday, July 23 one week before the formal selection process begins.
The nearly two-hour debate, held in the General Assembly Hall, offered the candidates a major opportunity to present themselves as the best successor to outgoing Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who will leave office on December 31.
With no clear front-runner emerging from a campaign that has generated limited public enthusiasm, the candidates focused on their experience, diplomatic skills and ability to engage with opposing sides during a period marked by conflicts and deep divisions.
The candidates are Chile's Michelle Bachelet, Ecuador's Maria Fernanda Espinosa, Argentina's Rafael Grossi, Costa Rica's Rebeca Grynspan, Guyana's Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett and Senegal's Macky Sall.
Each outlined how they would lead the UN through its current challenges, with restoring its credibility and relevance emerging as a central theme.
Grynspan, who has headed the UN Conference on Trade and Development, said she wanted to see the organization return to the centre of international efforts to resolve conflicts.
"Five years from now, I would like nobody to ask me again 'where is the UN?' That will be my indicator. I would like to see a UN that is back at the table on the scenarios of conflict," engendering and delivering "results on the ground," she said.
Sall, a former president of Senegal, said he would make rebuilding trust a priority during his first 100 days in office.
He vowed to use his first 100 days "to restore trust and put the UN on a path to become more agile, more effective, and more ready to listen. listen, act, and bring people together."
Rodrigues-Birkett, Guyana's ambassador, also promised to confront some of the world's most difficult crises, including conflicts in Iran, Haiti, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
"I would be that Secretary-General that would try, whether it is in Iran or in Haiti or in Sudan or in the (Democratic Republic of Congo)," she said.
The selection process formally begins next week, with the six candidates competing to replace Guterres at the helm of the world's largest international organization.
