Former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet has announced her withdrawal from the race to become the next UN secretary-general, saying she would no longer continue her candidacy in a message posted on Instagram.
The decision came after the third informal straw poll in the UN Security Council, in which Bachelet ranked seventh among eight candidates. She received just one “encourage” vote, compared with 11 “discourage” votes and three “no opinion” responses. Her support had steadily declined, from six votes in July to two in August and one in the latest round.
Commenting on her decision, Bachelet stressed that the selection process was taking place amid global instability. She said international law was being violated, the principles of multilateral cooperation were weakening, and scientific evidence on climate change was being questioned.
“I will now continue, with the same determination as always, my international work. I will remain actively engaged in the urgent task of building a world with greater peace, security, sustainable development and respect for human rights,” she added.
The selection process began with informal straw polls in the Security Council in July, with candidates competing for enough support to secure the Council’s recommendation to the UN General Assembly.
Eight candidates had remained in the race before Bachelet’s withdrawal, with Costa Rica’s former Vice President Rebeca Grynspan and Guyana’s former Foreign Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett receiving the most “encourage” votes in the latest poll, followed by International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi, former Senegalese President Macky Sall and former UN General Assembly President María Fernanda Espinosa.
By Jeyhun Aghazada
