UN General Assembly Holds Fifth Dialogue with Secretary-General Candidate
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) held an interactive dialogue on Monday (15/6) with a candidate for the position of the next UN Secretary-General. During the dialogue, Maria Fernanda Espinosa, former president of the UNGA and former foreign and defence minister of Ecuador, who was nominated by Antigua and Barbuda in May, presented her vision statement and answered questions from UN member states and civil society representatives regarding her leadership capabilities, experience and expertise, UN reform, and the three pillars of the UN: peace and security, human rights, and development.
In her vision statement, Espinosa stated that she is seeking the position of UN Secretary-General at a time when the world does not need another reformulation of multilateral vision, but rather tangible results. What is needed is a UN that can prevent crises earlier, respond more coherently, act more effectively, and restore faith in the value of collective action. She said her vision is structured around five interconnected pillars of transformation: peace and security, development, digital and energy transformation, closing the gap in service delivery, and rebuilding credibility.
“This is not an extensive, comprehensive plan of action, because comprehensive political and financial leadership must come from Member States. Instead, it highlights areas where the Secretary-General can act most effectively within the scope of his or her authority to restore the credibility and trust in the UN by delivering tangible results,” Espinosa explained.
At the end of April, the UNGA held a two-day interactive dialogue with four other candidates for the next UN Secretary-General. They included Michelle Bachelet, former president of Chile and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, nominated by Brazil and Mexico; Rafael Grossi, the current director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), nominated by Argentina; Macky Sall, former president of Senegal, nominated by Burundi; and Rebeca Grynspan, an economist and former vice president of Costa Rica, nominated by Costa Rica. The term of Antonio Guterres, the current ninth UN Secretary-General, will conclude at the end of 2026. The next Secretary-General will assume the role on 1 January 2027.