Five Candidates for UN Secretary-General: Former Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Joins the Race

With the addition of one more candidate to the upcoming United Nations (UN) Secretary-General election, the official number of candidates has increased to five.

According to the UN on May 12 (local time), the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda officially nominated Maria Fernanda Espinosa, former Foreign Minister of Ecuador, as a candidate for the next UN Secretary-General the previous day.

Although Espinosa is from Ecuador, she is running for office upon the recommendation of Antigua and Barbuda, not her own government. She has previously served as Ecuador's foreign minister, defense minister, and ambassador to the UN, and in 2018, she was President of the UN General Assembly.

She is recognized not only for her experience in diplomacy and security, but also as an expert on climate change and indigenous affairs. In addition, she has a background as a poet and essayist.

In her candidacy vision statement, Espinosa pointed out that the UN often arrives on the ground only after conflicts have already occurred, emphasizing the need for reforms that focus on conflict prevention rather than post-crisis response. She also expressed the view that the UN should become more results-oriented.

With Espinosa joining the race, the lineup for the next UN Secretary-General now consists of four candidates from Latin America and one from Africa.

The current list of candidates includes Michelle Bachelet, former President of Chile; Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency; Rebeca Grynspan, former Vice President of Costa Rica; and Macky Sall, former President of Senegal.