Guyana’s Rodrigues-Birkett leads UN SG Town Hall survey

Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, has topped a post-event poll conducted after the United Nations’ public town hall for candidates vying to become the organisation’s next secretary-general.

The virtual town hall, hosted by the Office of the President of the United Nations General Assembly in collaboration with Bloomberg, allowed member states, UN observers, civil society organisations and UN staff to hear directly from the six officially nominated candidates and assess their visions for the future of the global body.

Competing alongside Rodrigues-Birkett were former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet; International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi; United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan; former President of the UN General Assembly María Fernanda Espinosa; and former Senegalese President Macky Sall.

Following the discussions, participants were invited to vote on which candidate they believed was best positioned to lead the United Nations’ “UN80” reform agenda, a programme focused on modernising the institution and strengthening its ability to respond to evolving global challenges.

Rodrigues-Birkett received the strongest endorsement, capturing 46 per cent of the vote. Gaining considerably less support were Bachelet with 14 per cent, Grynspan with 13 per cent, Espinosa with 10 per cent, Sall with 9 per cent and Grossi with 8 per cent.

She also emerged as the standout performer in a separate survey that asked participants which candidate had delivered the most convincing presentation during the town hall.

Rodrigues-Birkett secured 49 per cent of the vote, well ahead of Grynspan, who received 14 per cent. Espinosa followed with 10 per cent, while Bachelet, Grossi and Sall each earned nine per cent.

Although the poll does not influence the official selection process, it offers a snapshot of how attendees evaluated the candidates during one of the campaign’s most visible engagements.

The appointment of the next United Nations secretary-general will ultimately be determined through the established process involving recommendations from the UN Security Council and approval by the 193-member United Nations General Assembly.

The town hall is one of several informal dialogues designed to allow member states and key stakeholders to examine each candidate’s leadership approach, policy priorities and plans for the future direction of the United Nations before a final decision is made.

DPI