President Luis Abinader reiterated before the General Assembly that Latin America and the Caribbean can provide a “renewed leadership” to the organization and recalled that in more than 80 years, no woman has held its highest office.
NEW YORK.– The Dominican Republic expressed its support this Wednesday for a woman to hold the Secretariat-General of the United Nations (UN) for the first time, considering that the time has come to renew the leadership of the international body, which in more than eight decades of existence has never been led by a woman.
The position was raised by President Luis Abinader during his speech at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, where he also advocated for greater representation of Latin America and the Caribbean in the leadership of the organization.
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“A year ago, I stated from this podium that it was up to Latin America and the Caribbean to offer renewed leadership, and that the time had come for a woman to hold the position of Secretary General. The candidacies presented confirm this,” the president stated.
Abinader recalled that since the creation of the United Nations in 1945, all of its secretaries-general have been men, which is why he urged the Security Council and the General Assembly to consider this aspect during the process to select the person who will succeed António Guterres.
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“In more than eighty years, no woman has led this Organization. We trust that the Security Council and this Assembly will rise to the occasion,” she emphasized.
DR proposes renewing UN leadership
The approach to female leadership was accompanied by a call from the Dominican Republic to renew representation within the United Nations so that its main bodies better reflect the current international reality.
“Renewing representation requires a Security Council that more closely resembles the multipolar world of the present. And it also requires thinking about who leads this Organization,” Abinader expressed.
The president thus linked the discussion on the next General Secretariat with a broader reform of the multilateral system, which would allow for greater participation of regions that demand more space in international decision-making.
The Dominican position also continues the approach taken by Abinader before the General Assembly a year ago, when he argued that Latin America and the Caribbean should have a relevant role in Guterres’ succession and advocated for the possibility of a woman assuming the highest office of the United Nations.
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Female and Latin American leadership
Abinader’s statements come as the process to choose the person who will succeed Guterres, whose term is scheduled to end on December 31, 2026, is underway.
Among the officially registered candidacies are several women from Latin America and the Caribbean, including Rebeca Grynspan, from Costa Rica; María Fernanda Espinosa, from Ecuador; Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, from Guyana, and Ivonne A-Baki, an Ecuadorian-American nominated by Tonga.
Michelle Bachelet, former president of Chile, had also been nominated by Chile, Brazil, and Mexico in February, but her candidacy was withdrawn by Chile on March 25, according to the official United Nations registry.
The process to choose the next secretary-general has already included public dialogues with the candidates. In August, the United Nations also held a regional dialogue on the future leadership of the organization and the role of Latin America and the Caribbean in the global agenda.
The selection of the next UN head involves the participation of both the Security Council and the General Assembly. In accordance with the established procedure, the Council recommends a candidate and subsequently the General Assembly makes the appointment.
