The United Nations General Assembly is set to elect a new secretary-general in 2026. Among the candidates is current Environment Minister Alicia Bárcena, who recently said that “it’s time for women” to lead the U.N.
In an interview with Wired en Español, Bárcena expressed her support for any Latin American woman running for the position.
“The United Nations must be led by someone from Latin America, and I will support any woman who runs for office from this region,” she stated.
Bárcena has a long history with the U.N. and has been mentioned as a potential candidate since serving as the minister of foreign affairs during former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s administration (2018-2024).
Other Latin American women candidates reportedly include Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, former Costa Rican Vice President Rebeca Grynspan, and Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley.
The U.N. has also indicated that it might be time for a woman to run the world’s largest multilateral organization.
Following the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) — attended by President Claudia Sheinbaum — delegates of member states issued a statement calling for a secretary-general from Latin America, noting that of the nine secretary-generals in the organization’s history, only one has come from Latin America.
Moreover, they highlighted that the position has never been held by a woman.
“How can the U.N. convincingly promote women’s empowerment if its leadership structures continue to exclude women?” Costa Rica’s delegate said, adding that “the time has come to break the 80-year cycle of exclusion.”
If selected, Bárcena said she plans to restructure the organization.
“I’m very familiar with the United Nations framework,” she said. “[It] needs major surgery, and one of my proposals would be to eliminate the Security Council veto, with five permanent members voting against each other,” she added. “The Security Council has the power to generate peace or war, and the veto is what prevents progress in that direction.”
In addition to her recent role representing the López Obrador administration, Bárcena’s experience in the U.N. spans decades. From 1998 to 2000, she coordinated the United Nations Environment Programme, leading the Biodiversity 2000 initiative. In 2006, she served as chief of staff under then-Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
While fielding questions about her future, Bárcena emphasized her focus on her current role, though she admits she’s always open to new opportunities.
“What I’ve enjoyed most in life is never thinking about what’s next, just thinking about what I’m doing and doing it well,” she said. “That way, opportunities come naturally.”
António Guterres of Portugal currently serves as the U.N. secretary-general. He is set to stand down at the end of 2026. In the second half of next year, the Security Council will deliberate on his successor, and recommend a candidate to the General Assembly for approval.
With reports from Wired en Español
