The race for the UN Secretary-General position: The new candidate, the map of chances - and the attitude towards Israel
Ivonne A-Baki, a diplomat with 40 years of experience from Ecuador, has joined the list of candidates to replace Antonio Guterres. Now the question arises whether she will manage to challenge Rebeca Grynspan from Costa Rica, who is considered a leading candidate for the position. Here is the full list of candidates and their attitude towards Israel.
The race for the UN Secretary-General position is entering another significant phase, as this coming Friday, members of the Security Council will hold another round of voting. At the center of attention is the question of whether the leading candidate, Rebeca Grynspan from Costa Rica, will manage to consolidate her lead, whether other candidates will narrow the gaps, and above all, how the entry of a new candidate into the race will affect the balance of power.
The new candidate is Ivonne A-Baki from Ecuador, whose candidacy was submitted by the Kingdom of Tonga. This is a relatively unusual move, as Ecuador itself is not officially backing her. A-Baki is a veteran diplomat with more than forty years of experience. Throughout her career, she served as Ecuador's ambassador to the USA, France, Qatar, and several other Middle Eastern countries, was a partner in the peace agreement between Ecuador and Peru, and led international initiatives in environmental protection and inter-regional cooperation.
In her vision document, she presents herself as a candidate capable of bridging the Global North and South. She calls for broad UN reform, including the abolition of the veto power of permanent Security Council members. Regarding Israel, her positions are not unequivocal: while she describes close ties with Donald Trump, she criticized his policy on Israel and in 2025 proposed making Jerusalem a neutral territory with a special status, similar to the Vatican.
Key Candidates
The race continues to focus on three prominent figures:
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Rebeca Grynspan (Costa Rica) — currently the Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development. In Jerusalem, she is perceived as a pragmatic and relatively moderate candidate.
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Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett (Guyana) — former Foreign Minister of Guyana. From Israel's perspective, she is considered one of the most problematic candidates due to her series of sharp statements against Israel at the UN and her support for anti-Israel resolutions.
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Rafael Grossi (Argentina) — head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). He presents himself as a manager with proven experience. According to diplomatic estimates, he enjoys American support but faces criticism for campaigning while still heading the IAEA.
Also remaining in the race is Michelle Bachelet (Chile), the former High Commissioner for Human Rights, who is viewed with concern in Jerusalem due to her track record of sharp criticism against Israel during her tenure.
The upcoming vote will be the first to test support for Ivonne A-Baki and will indicate whether a small group of leaders is forming or if the race will return to a more open stage.
