Candidates for the next UN Secretary-General position advocated for strengthening human rights, international law, and the organization's reforms amid a financial crisis and unpaid U.S. arrears.
The selection of the next UN Secretary-General is crucial as candidates propose reforms to address the organization's financial crisis and its role in a world facing multiplying conflicts and widespread violations of international law.
Several candidates vying to succeed UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres convened in Geneva to present their visions for the organization's future. The candidates stressed the need for strengthening human rights, upholding international law, and implementing reforms to bolster the UN, which is currently grappling with a significant financial crisis. This crisis has been exacerbated by funding cuts from major donors and approximately $4 billion in unpaid arrears from the United States.
Maria Fernanda Espinosa, a former Ecuadorian minister, emphasized the need for a "renaissance Secretary-General" capable of restoring the UN's moral authority and proposed establishing an early action hub to address emerging conflicts. Rebeca Grynspan, a former Vice President of Costa Rica, highlighted eroding trust in international organizations and called for closer collaboration with regional bodies to enhance peace and security.
Michelle Bachelet, the former president of Chile, placed human rights at the core of her platform, asserting their essential nature, including sexual reproductive rights, and committing to upholding existing UN agreements like the Beijing +20 accord. Macky Sall, former president of Senegal, outlined a vision centered on development, promoting jobs, investment, infrastructure, climate justice, and fair access to finance as key to peacebuilding in a fragmented international system. The fifth candidate, Rafael Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, did not submit a video message.