GUYANA’S candidate for United Nations Secretary-General, Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, met on Friday with Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, as part of her ongoing campaign for the world body’s top post.
The meeting gave Ambassador Rodrigues-Birkett an opportunity to formally present her candidacy to the DRC’s top diplomat and to outline her vision for the future of the United Nations.
According to a readout of the engagement, the two officials discussed a range of issues, chief among them how to make the UN more visible and “fit for purpose,” with an emphasis on delivering concrete results on the ground across all three pillars of the organization: peace and security, human rights, and development.
Ambassador Rodrigues-Birkett used the meeting to share her approach to institutional reform, laying out how she intends to make the UN more agile, efficient and effective if elected to lead the organisation.
The theme echoes remarks she has made throughout her campaign, in which she has argued that global crises also present opportunities to modernise the UN’s operations and better serve member states, particularly those in the developing world.
Ambassador Rodrigues-Birkett thanked Minister Wagner for what she described as a warm reception and constructive engagement, and said she looks forward to continuing her dialogue with the DRC and other member states in the weeks ahead.
The meeting is the latest in a series of engagements Ambassador Rodrigues-Birkett has held with foreign ministers and heads of government as part of her campaign.
She has previously met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and presented her platform to CARICOM leaders at their 51st Conference of Heads of Government in Saint Lucia, as well as taking part in a General Assembly interactive dialogue open to all Secretary-General candidates.
Currently, Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Rodrigues-Birkett was formally nominated for the position in June by President, Dr. Irfaan Ali.
She is among the candidates vying to succeed Secretary-General António Guterres, whose second term concludes on December 31, 2026.
Her candidacy has centred on themes of inclusive multilateralism, conflict prevention, and stronger representation for the Global South within UN decision-making structures.
The selection process for the next Secretary-General is being guided by General Assembly resolution 79/327, adopted in September 2025, which set out a framework of transparency and inclusivity for appointing the organisation’s next leader.
