Ivonne Baki, a 75-year-old Ecuadorean diplomat, has outlined her vision for the United Nations as she vies to succeed António Guterres, who will step down at the end of 2024 after two five-year terms.
Baki, nominated this week as Ecuador’s second candidate for the UN secretary-general role, emphasized conflict prevention and direct engagement in war zones during an informal dialogue with UN member states and civil society groups on Thursday. She framed her candidacy around a decades-long commitment to peace, recalling her experience living through Lebanon’s 1975–1990 civil war and the vow she said she made to dedicate her life to peacekeeping if her children survived the conflict.
The UN Security Council is scheduled to hold a second informal poll on candidates on Friday, with the process potentially extending into October or beyond. The first straw poll, conducted at the end of July, placed Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan narrowly ahead of Guyana’s Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett and Argentina’s Rafael Grossi. Baki was not included in that initial poll as her candidacy was submitted later.
Baki, born in Ecuador to Lebanese immigrant parents, brings a background in government and diplomacy, having served as Ecuador’s minister of foreign affairs and ambassador to France, Qatar, and the United States. She has publicly acknowledged personal connections with former U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump, stating in Ecuadorean media that her candidacy enjoys U.S. support, though Washington has not commented on the claim.
Critics of the UN have highlighted concerns over the organization’s size and cost, increasing pressure on the next secretary-general to pursue structural reforms. The role carries significant influence, with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council—China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States—holding veto power over major decisions.
Other candidates in the running include former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, Ecuador’s former Foreign Minister María Fernanda Espinosa, former Senegalese President Macky Sall, and Ugandan diplomat Olara Otunnu.
