Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, candidate to lead the United Nations: Not choosing a woman would send ‘a very bad message’

The United Nations secretary-general is the organization’s top official and central coordinator. The leader guides the UN’s work, represents it internationally, and helps keep member states focused on shared problems. The position matters because the UN is struggling to remain relevant in today’s world, making leadership and credibility especially important.

The article describes the secretary-general as being “at the helm” of the organization. António Guterres currently holds the position, but a successor must take over on January 1. The leader also has to navigate disagreements over issues such as Gaza, Sudan, international law, and the UN Charter.

The next secretary-general will inherit a difficult institution and a demanding international environment. Rodrigues-Birkett warns that failing to choose a successor on time would damage the UN’s credibility. The selection therefore concerns more than one individual. It will also signal whether member states can cooperate and take the organization seriously.

Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett is a former minister of Guyana and Guyana’s ambassador to the United Nations. She was born 53 years ago in Santa Rosa, an Arawak Indigenous community. Her background gives her a powerful personal story, but she says her experience is not unique and prefers to focus on wider global inequalities.

She is also a prominent candidate in the current contest. Alongside Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan, she stands out as one of the frontrunners. In the first four ballots, Rodrigues-Birkett and Grynspan held the top two positions. Rodrigues-Birkett later fell to third, behind Argentina’s Rafael Grossi.

Her candidacy combines political experience, UN knowledge, and a stated commitment to international law. She says Guyana consistently defends the UN Charter, including on Gaza and Sudan. She argues that if defending those principles harms her campaign, she would still choose to defend them.

The race currently includes seven candidates. The contest is still uncertain, and the article describes it as a long-distance race with very few certainties. The field is being tested through informal votes before the decisive stages of the selection process.

Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett of Guyana and Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan are identified as the leading contenders. Argentina’s Rafael Grossi is also mentioned, though the article places him behind the two women. In the first four ballots, Rodrigues-Birkett and Grynspan occupied the top two positions.

The latest ballot changed that pattern. Rodrigues-Birkett fell to third place, behind Grossi, after what she described as possible campaigning against her. The next vote is especially important because the five permanent Security Council members will show their preferences for the first time. Their views could reshape the race.

The secretary-general is selected through a process involving scrutiny by the General Assembly and the Security Council. Candidates face informal straw polls and repeated ballots. The Security Council’s recommendation is central before the appointment is completed, giving that council exceptional influence over the outcome.

The five permanent members are the United States, China, the United Kingdom, France, and Russia. They hold veto power in the Security Council. The article calls them the countries that “call the shots,” and says they are expected to show their preferences in the next vote. A candidate may receive at least one opposing vote from a permanent member.

This structure means broad support alone may not be enough. A candidate must also avoid being blocked by one of the veto-holding countries. Rodrigues-Birkett says every candidate should face the same scrutiny, including any surprise candidate who might enter the race. The permanent members’ preferences could therefore determine whether the process advances or stalls.

The informal regional-rotation principle gives different regions a turn to put forward a secretary-general candidate. It is not presented as a formal rule, but Rodrigues-Birkett says it helps guarantee a degree of certainty and fairness. The principle shapes expectations even though member states ultimately choose the leader.

The article says it is now Latin America and the Caribbean’s turn. Rodrigues-Birkett argues that the region’s turn should be respected. She also notes that the previous secretary-general, António Guterres, was chosen when it was Eastern Europe’s turn, but says that should not justify weakening the principle further.

The current field includes five candidates from Eastern Europe, and informal straw polls suggest one of them could still be chosen. That makes the regional principle politically relevant but not decisive. Rodrigues-Birkett warns that dismantling informal processes could create uncertainty about what comes next in future selections.

Choosing a woman would be historically significant because the United Nations has never had a female secretary-general in its more than 80-year history. The leadership question also carries a wider message about equality. Rodrigues-Birkett says that, in 2026, women’s competence should no longer be questioned.

The article identifies Rodrigues-Birkett and Rebeca Grynspan as leading contenders. Rodrigues-Birkett says she is not running simply because she is a woman. She presents her candidacy on its merits, while also pointing to the importance of changing a pattern that has lasted throughout the UN’s history.

She argues that failing to choose a woman would send a very negative signal for equality. The UN’s appointment resolution repeatedly refers to the secretary-general as “he,” a detail she highlights as outdated. The decision could therefore affect both the organization’s leadership and its message about women’s place in global decision-making.

A failure to choose a successor by January 1 would create a serious institutional problem. The article describes the possibility as a deadlock in which the UN might not have a new leader when António Guterres’s term ends. That uncertainty would affect the organization at a moment when it is already struggling to remain relevant.

Rodrigues-Birkett gives a clear reason for her concern. She says a delayed decision would show that member states do not take the organization seriously. She calls it one of the best ways to reduce the UN’s credibility. The problem would therefore be both practical and symbolic: leadership would be unsettled, and confidence in the institution could fall.

The risk depends on whether the candidates and the Security Council can reach an acceptable outcome. The next vote is important because the five permanent members will reveal their preferences. Rodrigues-Birkett hopes the process avoids deadlock and preserves equal scrutiny for all candidates.