Key facts
- Maria Fernanda Espinosa, an Ecuadorean candidate for UN secretary-general, believes the UN is essential but needs responsible downsizing.
- She stated the UN must rebuild credibility and demonstrate its ability to deliver change.
- Espinosa suggested national governments could assume greater roles in areas currently managed by the UN.
- She previously served as Ecuador's foreign affairs and defense minister and headed the UN General Assembly.
- Espinosa was nominated by Antigua and Barbuda to succeed Antonio Guterres.
Maria Fernanda Espinosa, an Ecuadorean candidate vying to become the next United Nations secretary-general, stated on Monday that the organization remains essential but must undergo responsible downsizing. Espinosa, who previously served as Ecuador's foreign affairs and defense minister, is one of six candidates seeking to succeed Antonio Guterres when his term concludes at the end of the year.
During a hearing on her candidacy, Espinosa acknowledged the significant challenges ahead but expressed optimism, vowing to continue reform efforts. She emphasized the undeniable need for the UN, founded after World War Two, while also noting its frequent ineffectiveness. "Too often the U.N. is missing in action, or relegated to the sidelines. Too often it is slow, fragmented, and constrained ... the U.N. needs to rebuild credibility and show, not just say, that it can deliver real change," she stated.
Espinosa proposed that the UN could be "shrunk responsibly, while strengthening national ownership and delivery, and restoring faith in the U.N." She suggested that national governments could potentially assume greater roles in areas where the UN currently operates, though she did not provide specific details. Espinosa, who also served as Ecuador's ambassador to the UN and led the UN General Assembly from 2018 to 2019, has distanced herself from the leftist administration of former President Rafael Correa, with whom she served.
Her candidacy was nominated by the Caribbean island nation of Antigua and Barbuda. The current Ecuadorean government, led by President Daniel Noboa, has not commented on her bid. Other nations, such as Guyana, have also put forward their own nominees, including UN Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett. In April, four other candidates also pledged to pursue UN reforms while upholding its core principles of peacemaking and development support.