Key facts
- Ivonne Baki and Olara Otunnu are among eight candidates vying to succeed UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
- Baki pledged to focus on conflict prevention and personal diplomacy, stating she would engage directly in tension zones.
- Otunnu called for UN reform and restoration of moral authority, quoting the Prayer of St. Francis.
- Baki aims to make the UN Security Council more representative, noting its current structure reflects the post-WWII geopolitical landscape.
- A second informal poll of candidates by the UN Security Council is scheduled for Friday.
Ecuadorean diplomat Ivonne Baki and Ugandan diplomat Olara Otunnu, two of eight candidates seeking to succeed UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, have outlined their visions for the organization. Baki, drawing on her experience during Lebanon's civil war, pledged to prioritize conflict prevention and engage directly in volatile regions. Otunnu called for UN reform and a restoration of its moral authority, invoking St. Francis of Assisi to emphasize bridging global divisions.
Guterres steps down at the end of the year, and his successor faces pressure to reform a United Nations criticized by some as bloated and costly. Baki, 75, stated her candidacy has U.S. support and acknowledged friendships with President Donald Trump and former President Bill Clinton. Otunnu, also 75, previously served as a UN under-secretary-general and stressed the imperative of reform.
The 15-member UN Security Council is conducting informal polls to select the next leader, with a second poll scheduled for Friday. A previous straw poll in late July showed Costa Rica's Rebeca Grynspan as a narrow frontrunner, followed by Guyana's Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett and Argentina's Rafael Grossi. Baki was not included in that poll as she was nominated recently. The process could extend into October, with avoiding a veto from the five permanent Security Council members being critical.