–Ambassador Rodrigues-Birkett outlines vision for proactive dialogue, enhanced support and global leadership
–in bid for UN Secretary General
Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, has unveiled a reform-focused vision as she bids to become the next UN Secretary-General, warning that while the organisation remains “indispensable”, it must become more proactive in the face of multiplying global crises.
Addressing permanent representatives, delegates and civil society at UN Headquarters, Rodrigues-Birkett set out a vision she described as “principled, pragmatic, and responsive” to the needs of the organisation.
She noted that the appointment of the next Secretary-General comes at a “critical moment” for a multilateral system under unprecedented political and financial pressure.
“The global landscape has changed and the tools required to guide the organisation must likewise evolve. The vision I have outlined is principled, pragmatic, and responsive to the needs of the organisation,” she said, adding:
Acknowledging the mounting frustrations on the UN deliverables in the wake of systemic pressures, she vowed to bring practical advancements, ensuring that the organisation is truly fit for purpose, closing gaps that currently exist between the efforts being made and tangible solutions.
“No country is untouched by the work of the United Nations. While the full breadth of its achievements may not be widely recognised, its impact is clear across every region of the world,” she said.
The dialogue formed part of a transparent and inclusive selection process mandated by General Assembly Resolution 79/327, under which each candidate presents their vision and answers questions from Member States and civil society.
Drawing on her five years at the United Nations and Guyana’s recent term on the Security Council, Rodrigues-Birkett said she had heard a “growing sense of frustration that the UN is not delivering as it should”, citing proliferating conflicts, the slow pace in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and a worsening liquidity crisis. Yet she insisted that the world would be “difficult to imagine” without the UN’s conflict prevention and standard-setting work.
“If there were no United Nations, how would we even begin to address many of the global issues confronting us? I’ve said all of this because I believe in the United Nations. It is indispensable. It is incomparable, and it is a force for global good,” she said.
Rodrigues-Birkett said her vision builds on the UN’s achievements while responding directly to the challenges we face, aligning with the UN’s 80 reform agenda.
“In effective Secretary General in today’s context must possess two essential strengths, in my view, discernment and versatility. She must be an administrator, peacemaker, mediator, broker, negotiator, convener, and spokesperson. More importantly, she must be able to discern which role is most appropriate in any given situation,” Rodrigues-Birkett said, adding:
“I believe that I have acquired these skills during the period of my time as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guyana, Minister of Amerindian Affairs, as an international civil servant and as a permanent representative right here in these halls, representing my country.”
