The president of Chile at the end of his term, Gabriel Boric, announced the joint appointment with Brazil and Mexico of former president Michelle Bachelet to the position of UN secretary general.
“In this nomination we are not alone, the candidacy that was registered at the UN is presented jointly with the sister countries Brazil and Mexico, the two most populated countries in Latin America”, declared the Chilean left-wing leader.
At X, Boric argued that the appointment of the former Chilean president aims to “give a voice” to Latin America and the Caribbean in the international organization. “Former President Michelle Bachelet faithfully embodies the values of the UN, and this candidacy expresses a shared hope: that Latin America and the Caribbean will make their voices heard in building collective solutions to the enormous challenges of our time.”
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) also spoke about the matter this Monday (2), saying that Brazil supports “with great honor” Michelle Bachelet’s candidacy for the top position at the United Nations.
The PT member defended that, after eight decades since its founding, “it is time” for the UN to be led by a woman, referring to the former progressive president as the “ideal” person for the position.
The president stated that this experience, as well as her “commitment” to multilateralism, gives Bachelet the “credentials” to lead the UN in a context “marked by conflicts, inequalities and democratic setbacks”.
Bachelet’s candidacy to replace the current secretary general, António Guterres, of Portugal, promoted by the governments of Chile, Mexico and Brazil, was officially announced this Monday.
Bachelet served as president on two occasions (2006-2010 and 2014-2018), was the first deputy secretary-general and executive director of UN Women (2010-2013), and served as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (2018-2022).
See the full statements by Boric and Lula
Gabriel Boric
Today, the State of Chile, together with Brazil and Mexico, has the honor and pride of officially registering the candidacy of Michelle Bachelet Jeria for Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Former President Michelle Bachelet faithfully embodies the values of the UN, and this candidacy expresses a shared hope: that Latin America and the Caribbean will make their voices heard in building collective solutions to the enormous challenges of our time.
With this shared commitment to defending democracy, global governance, multilateralism and human rights, we in Latin America continue to believe in an international system that can and must respond with greater effectiveness, legitimacy and humanity to the world’s main problems. A source of pride for Chile!
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
It is with great honor that Brazil supports Michelle Bachelet’s candidacy for UN Secretary General.
In eight decades of history, it is time for the organization to finally be led by a woman. Bachelet’s career is marked by pioneering spirit. She was the first woman to preside over Chile, twice, and the first to hold the positions of Minister of Defense and Health in her country. In the United Nations system, she played a decisive role in the creation and consolidation of UN Women, as its first executive director, giving institutional scale to the equality agenda. As UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, she worked to protect the most vulnerable, advance the recognition of the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, and give a voice to those who need to be heard most.
Her experience, leadership and commitment to multilateralism accredit her to lead the UN, in an international context marked by conflicts, inequalities and democratic setbacks.
