Bachelet withdraws from race for UN secretary-general post — Al Jazeera
Former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet has withdrawn from the race for the post of the next UN secretary-general. She announced this in a video on Instagram, Al Jazeera English reports.
The 74-year-old Bachelet announced her decision on Saturday. She said she did not regret taking part in the campaign, although, in her words, the time was not right for the candidacy she sought to represent.
Informal vote
Bachelet's withdrawal came after the third informal straw poll in the UN Security Council, held on Friday. She received one “encourage” vote, 11 “discourage” votes and three “no opinion” votes. In July, she had six “encourage” votes, and in August, two.
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Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica, who heads the UN Conference on Trade and Development, led in this vote with nine “encourage” votes. Guyana's representative Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett received eight such votes.
Further selection
Other remaining candidates include Rafael Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency, former Senegalese President Macky Sall and Ecuadorian diplomat María Fernanda Espinosa. To be recommended by the Security Council, a candidate must receive at least nine votes out of 15 and avoid a veto from China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom or the United States. This is followed by a final vote in the UN General Assembly.
Chile nominated Bachelet in February with the support of Brazil and Mexico. She could have become the first woman to lead the UN. The successor to current Secretary-General António Guterres, whose term ends on December 31, will lead the organization amid crises and financial difficulties. Earlier, Guterres warned of the threat of imminent financial collapse due to $1.57 billion in unpaid contributions at the end of 2025.
