Africa: Michelle Bachelet Withdraws From Race to Become Next UN Chief

20 September 2026
The New Times (Kigali)
By Brice Dievan Ikapi

Former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet has withdrawn her candidacy to become the next United Nations Secretary-General, ending her bid to become the first woman to lead the world body.

Bachelet announced her decision on Saturday, saying she did not regret taking on what she described as a major challenge. With her withdrawal, seven candidates remain in the race to replace Antonio Guterres, whose second term ends on December 31, 2026.

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Her withdrawal follows a weak showing in the latest Security Council straw poll, where she received one "encourage" vote, 11 "discourage" votes and three "no opinion" votes.

The September 18 poll was led by Costa Rica's Rebeca Grynspan, who received nine encourage votes, followed by Guyana's Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett with eight. Senegal's Macky Sall, Uganda's Olara Otunnu and Argentina's Rafael Grossi each received five.

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Ecuador's María Fernanda Espinosa received three encourage votes, while Ecuadorian diplomat Ivonne Baki received none.

The latest poll does not determine the winner; it is part of the Security Council's informal selection process.

Bachelet's campaign had lost momentum after Chile's new government, led by President José Antonio Kast, withdrew its support in March. She had been nominated with backing from Chile, Brazil and Mexico.

The next secretary-general will be selected through a process involving the Security Council before formal appointment by the General Assembly.

No woman has served as UN secretary-general since the organisation was founded 80 years ago. Latin America has also had only one secretary-general, Peru's Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, who served from 1982 to 1991.

The formal appointment of the next UN Secretary-General by the General Assembly is expected in late 2026.

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