Ivonne Baki, an Ecuadorian diplomat of Lebanese origin, has officially entered the race to succeed UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, becoming the eighth candidate seeking to lead the international organization beginning in 2027. Baki was born in Ecuador to parents of Lebanese origin. At a young age, she married Lebanese businessman Sami Abd-El-Baki and moved with him to Lebanon. Her diplomatic career began in 1981, when she was appointed Ecuador’s honorary consul in Beirut.
2+After holding several diplomatic positions in South America and the United States, Baki most recently served as Ecuador’s ambassador to Qatar from 2017 to 2020. She also served as a non-resident ambassador to Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Jordan, Oman and Syria. After submitting her candidacy for secretary-general, Baki said she wants to work toward the “renewal” of the United Nations and strengthen its ability to produce measurable results as part of a vision centered on peace.
In a 2020 interview, Baki described herself as being of Arab origin and said her Lebanese husband had been a major defender of the ‘Palestinians’.She explicitly endorsed a two-state solution and argued that Israelis and ‘Palestinians’ needed to reach an agreement rather than relying on force. More significantly, she criticized President Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and the relocation of the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and argued it was something that “should never have been done.” She also criticized Israel’s approach to the ‘Palestinians’, saying that Israel talks about peace agreements with them but, in her view, sidelines them in practice.
2+The selection process could continue through late September or early October. Choosing the next secretary-general involves considerably more than announcing a candidacy. The 15-member UN Security Council must first recommend a candidate to the General Assembly, which then formally appoints the secretary-general. The council’s five permanent members—the United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom—play a decisive role because each can use its veto to block a recommendation.
The selection process could continue through late September or early October. Choosing the next secretary-general involves considerably more than announcing a candidacy. The 15-member UN Security Council must first recommend a candidate to the General Assembly, which then formally appoints the secretary-general. The council’s five permanent members—the United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom—play a decisive role because each can use its veto to block a recommendation.
2+After submitting her candidacy for the Secretary-General position, Abdel-Baki said she wants to work toward “renewing” the UN and strengthening its ability to achieve measurable results, within a vision focused on peace. The selection process may continue until the end of September or early October.
It’s important to note that the selection of the Secretary-General doesn’t end with the mere declaration of candidacies. The Security Council, which has 15 members, is responsible for recommending a candidate to the General Assembly—which then appoints the Secretary-General. The five permanent members of the Council (the United States, Russia, China, France, and Britain) play a decisive role, as any one of them can use its veto power to block the recommendation.
With Baki’s entry, the field now includes eight candidates: former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, former Costa Rican Vice President Rebeca Grynspan, International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi, former Guyanese Foreign Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, former Ecuadorian Foreign Minister María Fernanda Espinosa, former Senegalese President Macky Sall, Ugandan diplomat Olara Otunnu and Baki.