GUYANA’S candidate for United Nations Secretary-General, Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, has stepped up her diplomatic campaign with a meeting with Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, where she presented her candidacy and discussed the need for meaningful reform of the world body.
Rodrigues-Birkett presented her candidacy to Mitsotakis on Wednesday as she continues engagements with UN member states ahead of the selection of a successor to Secretary-General António Guterres, whose second term ends on December 31.
The Guyanese diplomat used the meeting to highlight the ongoing UN reform process, stressing the need to seize the current opportunity to make the organisation more agile, efficient and effective, while ensuring that its work delivers greater impact on the ground.
She said she looks forward to maintaining engagement with Greece and other UN member states as she seeks to build support for her candidacy and promote a stronger United Nations capable of responding more effectively to global challenges.
Rodrigues-Birkett is among the candidates vying to succeed Guterres in a selection process being conducted through the UN Security Council before a final recommendation is submitted to the 193-member General Assembly. The process involves informal straw polls, followed by more decisive rounds in which the five permanent members of the Security Council can exercise their veto powers.
Her candidacy has gained significant momentum in the early stages of the process. In the first informal Security Council straw poll in July, she received nine “encourage” votes, placing second behind Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan, who received 10.
In the second informal poll, Rodrigues-Birkett reportedly moved into first place with eight “encourage” votes, ahead of Grynspan with seven, although the process remains open and no candidate has secured the position.
If successful, Rodrigues-Birkett would make history as the first Caribbean national and the first woman to serve as UN Secretary-General. Her candidacy is also backed by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), adding a regional dimension to her campaign.
The Guyanese ambassador, who has served as Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the UN since 2020, has made institutional reform, effective multilateralism and stronger international co-operation central themes of her campaign.
Her engagement with the Greek leadership comes as candidates continue to lobby member states and present their visions for an organisation facing growing geopolitical tensions, armed conflicts and calls for greater efficiency and accountability.
The selection process is expected to continue in the coming months, with the Security Council ultimately required to recommend a candidate to the General Assembly for appointment.