GUYANA’S candidate for the position of United Nations Secretary-General, Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, on Monday, presented her vision for the organisation’s top post to Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders during the 51st Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government in Saint Lucia.
According to a post on the Permanent Mission of Guyana to the United Nations’ Facebook page, Rodrigues-Birkett was invited to participate in the high-level meeting, where she outlined her candidacy and vision for leading the world body when the tenure of the current Secretary-General, António Guterres, comes to an end on December 31, 2026.
During the engagement, it was noted that she also expressed appreciation to regional leaders for their support and words of encouragement as her campaign continues.
This engagement with CARICOM leaders forms part of an ongoing diplomatic effort by the Guyanese candidate to garner international backing ahead of the selection process.
In recent weeks, Rodrigues-Birkett has held a series of high-level meetings with international leaders and diplomats.
Among those engagements was a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, during which they discussed a range of issues affecting the United Nations, including ongoing reforms and ways to improve the organisation’s effectiveness in addressing global challenges.
She also met with Heads of Mission of European Union member states, as well as Republic of Korea Foreign Minister Cho Hyun.
Additionally, Rodrigues-Birkett engaged former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, drawing on his experience leading the organisation from 2007 to 2016.
She further participated in an informal interactive dialogue with UN member states on June 18 as part of the official selection process for candidates.
In early June, President Dr Irfaan Ali formally announced Guyana’s nomination of Rodrigues-Birkett, describing the decision as both timely and appropriate given the significant global challenges confronting the international community.
The President at that time said Guyana’s successful tenure on the UN Security Council from 2024 to 2025 demonstrated the country’s capacity to provide leadership on the global stage, while highlighting its growing influence on issues including climate change, biodiversity conservation, food security and sustainable development.
He further cited the Ambassador’s extensive diplomatic experience, noting that she has served as Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations since 2020 and played a central role in advancing the country’s positions during its Security Council membership.
