Michelle Bachelet, the former president of Chile, announced on Saturday that she was withdrawing her candidacy for the position of United Nations secretary-general. Bachelet, who served as Chile's first female leader, made the announcement through a video posted on her social media accounts. In the video, she stated that she had decided not to continue with her candidacy, adding that she did not regret having taken on the challenge.
Bachelet's candidacy had been gaining momentum earlier, with her being nominated by the administration of then-president Gabriel Boric in February and supported by leftist leaders of Mexico and Brazil. However, her bid lost steam after Chile's new leader, far-right President Jose Antonio Kast, withdrew his backing. A straw poll had also shown Bachelet in second to last place among eight candidates, which may have contributed to her decision to withdraw.
Chile's government had withdrawn its support for Bachelet's candidacy in March and has since not backed any of the candidates in the running. Despite this, the government reaffirmed its commitment to multilateralism and reform of the United Nations. Bachelet's withdrawal leaves four women and three men in the race to succeed the current UN chief, Antonio Guterres of Portugal, who completes his second five-year term on December 31.
The UN secretary-general position has historically been held by representatives from different geographic regions, with Latin America's turn being this time. However, no woman has led the United Nations in its 80-year history, and only one Latin American, Javier Perez de Cuellar of Peru, has served as secretary-general. Bachelet's bid had sparked debate about the need for a woman from Latin America to lead the global body.
In the informal process to pick the next UN chief, three polls have been conducted so far, with the 15-member Security Council twice placing Costa Rica's former vice president Rebeca Grynspan in the lead. Guyanese ex-foreign minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett placed first in the third poll. Bachelet had initially seemed optimistic about her chances but had recently acknowledged her underdog status.
Bachelet's decision to run for the top UN post had been seen as a significant move, with her advocating for a woman from Latin America to lead the organization. Her withdrawal now leaves the field open for other candidates to vie for the position. The UN is yet to announce the next steps in the selection process.
The selection process for the UN secretary-general is set to continue, with the Security Council expected to hold further polls to determine the next leader of the global body. The new secretary-general will have to navigate complex global challenges, including climate change, conflict, and inequality.
Key points
- Michelle Bachelet withdraws her candidacy for UN secretary-general.
- Bachelet's bid had sparked debate about the need for a woman from Latin America to lead the UN.
- The UN secretary-general position has historically been held by representatives from different geographic regions.
