Ecuadoran diplomat enters race to be next UN chief
Ecuador's Ivonne A-Baki Joins Contested Bid for UN Secretary-General
Bharatmorningnews.com – The field of contenders for the top post at the United Nations has widened once more. In a letter issued Tuesday, the president of the General Assembly confirmed that Ivonne A-Baki, a veteran Ecuadoran diplomat who once served as Quito's envoy to Washington, has formally entered the competition to succeed Antonio Guterres of Portugal. Guterres will see out his second five-year mandate on December 31, 2026, and nominations remain open, meaning additional late entrants are still possible.
A Candidate with a Distinctive Profile
Tonga put forward A-Baki's name, citing her experience as a cabinet minister, her service as Ecuador's first female ambassador to the United States, and her posting as ambassador to Qatar. Born to Lebanese parents, she occupies a singular position in the candidate pool: the only nominee whose personal heritage spans both Latin America and the Middle East, and the only one credited with helping broker a peace accord between two sovereign UN member states.
That diplomatic achievement came in the aftermath of a brief 1995 border war between Ecuador and Peru, where A-Baki played a key role in reopening dialogue between the two neighbors.
"As the only candidate whose heritage bridges Latin America and the Middle East, and the only nominee to have helped broker a peace agreement between two sovereign UN member states, I stand ready to help renew the UN Charter's foundational promise: to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war in a world where conflict continues to grow."
A Crowded and Divided Race
At present, five women and three men are competing for the post. The other nominees include former Guyanese foreign minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Argentine IAEA chief Rafael Grossi, Chile's Michelle Bachelet, fellow Ecuadoran Maria Fernanda Espinosa, Uganda's Olara Otunnu, and Senegal's Macky Sall. Although Grossi arguably enjoys the strongest name recognition among the group, observers caution that no frontrunner has emerged in a contest that could stretch across several months.
The UN Security Council convened last month for what is termed the first "straw poll," a preliminary gauge of support among the then-seven candidates. United Nations insider Rebeca Grynspan led the tally after that initial round.
The Path to Confirmation
Diplomats remain cautious about forecasting the outcome. The council's five permanent members — the United States, Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom — have yet to signal their preferences. Even a candidate who secures the requisite nine votes out of fifteen on the council must still dodge a veto from any of those five deeply divided powers. Only after clearing that hurdle would a name be forwarded to the full General Assembly of all UN member states for final confirmation.
An Environmental Stain on the Record
A-Baki's candidacy also carries a notable blemish. She was the public face of a scheme designed to spare an Amazon reserve from oil drilling in return for a substantial international financial contribution. The initiative was abandoned in 2013 when then-president Rafael Correa acknowledged its economic failure and authorized crude extraction within Yasuni National Park.
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