Ecuador's Ivonne A-Baki enters race for United Nations Secretary-General
Ivonne A-Baki, an Ecuadorian diplomat who represented Quito in the United States, has joined the race to become the next United Nations Secretary-General. Her nomination was announced by the head of the General Assembly. Nominated by Tonga, the former foreign trade minister is among a growing field of candidates vying to succeed Antonio Guterres, whose second five-year term concludes on December 31, 2026. A-Baki, born to Lebanese parents, played a role in facilitating dialogue between Ecuador and Peru after their 1995 border conflict. Tonga's nomination highlighted her past roles as a cabinet minister, the first woman ambassador from Ecuador to Washington, and ambassador to Qatar. A-Baki stated on X that she has "lived through the ravages of war" and, as the only candidate bridging Latin America and the Middle East and having helped broker a peace agreement between two UN member states, she is prepared to help renew the UN Charter's promise to prevent war. She was also involved in a plan to prevent oil exploitation in an Amazon reserve in exchange for international contributions, which was shelved in 2013 by then-president Rafael Correa. The UN Security Council recently held its first "straw poll" to gauge support for the candidates. Rebeca Grynspan was leading after the first round. Other nominees include Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Rafael Grossi, Michelle Bachelet, Maria Fernanda Espinosa, Olara Otunnu, and Macky Sall. The race has no clear favorite, and the outcome is uncer
