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Ecuadorian diplomat Ivonne A-Baki has joined the race to become the next Secretary-General of the United Nations, the President of the UN General Assembly announced in a letter on Tuesday.
A-Baki, who previously served as Ecuador’s ambassador to the United States and as the country’s foreign trade minister, was nominated by Tonga. Her entry adds another name to an increasingly competitive field seeking to succeed António Guterres, whose second five-year term ends on December 31, 2026.
Born to Lebanese parents, A-Baki has played a notable role in Ecuador’s diplomatic affairs. She was involved in efforts to promote dialogue between Ecuador and Peru following their brief border conflict in 1995. Tonga, in its nomination, also pointed to her experience as a cabinet minister, Ecuador’s first female ambassador to Washington and ambassador to Qatar.
In announcing her bid, A-Baki pointed to her personal experience with conflict and her background spanning Latin America and the Middle East.“I have lived through the ravages of war,” she wrote on X, arguing that her diplomatic experience and role in helping broker peace between Ecuador and Peru had prepared her to help strengthen the UN’s commitment to preventing conflict.
A-Baki was also associated with Ecuador’s controversial Yasuní-ITT initiative, which sought international funding in exchange for leaving oil reserves beneath the Amazon rainforest untouched. The plan ultimately collapsed, and in 2013, then-President Rafael Correa authorized oil extraction in Yasuní National Park.
Her candidacy comes as the UN leadership race enters an increasingly uncertain phase. A first Security Council straw poll was held last month to test support for the candidates, with UN official Rebeca Grynspan emerging as the early leader.
The contest currently includes five women and three men, although nominations remain open. Other candidates include former Guyanese Foreign Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi of Argentina, former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, former Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Maria Fernanda Espinosa, Ugandan diplomat Olara Otunnu and former Senegalese President Macky Sall.
Despite Grossi’s strong international profile, diplomats say there is no obvious frontrunner yet. The outcome will largely depend on the positions eventually taken by the UN Security Council’s five permanent members: the United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom.
A candidate needs at least nine of the council’s 15 votes and, crucially, must avoid a veto from any of the five permanent members. Given the sharp divisions among the major powers, the race could stretch on for months before a consensus emerges.
Once the Security Council agrees on a candidate, the nomination will be forwarded to the UN General Assembly, where all member states will be asked to confirm the appointment.
