Ivonne A-Baki Enters Race to Be Next UN Chief
- On Tuesday, Tonga nominated Ivonne A-Baki, Ecuador's former trade minister, as a candidate to replace Antonio Guterres as United Nations Secretary-General, making her the eighth candidate in the race.
- The United Nations faces significant global divisions and budget challenges that require revitalizing leadership. Guterres completes his second five-year term on December 31, 2026, triggering the succession process.
- Tonga highlighted A-Baki's roles as ambassador to the United States, Qatar, and France. The nomination letter stated she has "led major international initiatives on sustainable development and dialog among cultures, bridging Latin America, the Arab world, Africa and Europe."
- The Security Council plans another informal 'straw poll' on Friday to gauge support among members. A successful nominee must secure nine votes from the 15 available and avoid veto by the five permanent powers.
- Precedent suggests multiple polling rounds could continue through the coming weeks, concluding in late September or early October. Once a candidate clears these bars, their name advances to the General Assembly for final confirmation.
29 Articles
29 Articles
Ivonne A-Baki was Ecuadorian Foreign Trade Minister and Ambassador of her country to the USA and Qatar. Now she wants to follow UN Secretary General António Guterres.
The 75-year-old, nominated by the Pacific island state of Tonga, declared on Tuesday that she was prepared to "contribute to the renewal of the basic promise of the UN Charter: to protect future generations from the scourge of the war." A-Baki is the daughter of Lebanese parents and was, among other things, Ecuadorian foreign trade minister and ambassador of her country to the United States and Qatar. She played an important role in the negotiat…
Ecuadorian diplomat Ivonne Baki joined the UN Secretary-General's race on Tuesday to replace António Guterres, whose term ends at the end of this year. She was minister in Ecuador and ambassador to France, Qatar and the United States. The diplomat was nominated by Tonga, a Pacific island, and is the eighth name — Ecuador's second — to enter the dispute by the UN Secretariat.
(New York = Yonhap News) Correspondent Kim Yeon-sook = The number of candidates in the election to choose the next UN Secretary-General has increased to eight.
The Ecuadorian diplomat is part of the group of three men and five women in the dispute for the post of UN leader. The Security Council made an "informal vote" on the successor of Guterres.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 47% of the sources lean Right
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
