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Former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet has officially withdrawn her candidacy for the position of United Nations Secretary-General. Bachelet announced her decision in a video statement released on Saturday, citing a challenging international climate characterized by significant tensions regarding multilateralism and international law.
While Bachelet stated she does not regret her candidacy, she expressed her belief that the next UN Secretary-General should be an independent woman from Latin America committed to the principles of the UN Charter. Her withdrawal reduces the number of active candidates in the race to succeed António Guterres, whose term concludes at the end of 2026.
The impact of Bachelet’s departure on the campaign of former Senegalese President Macky Sall appears limited. During an indicative vote on August 21, Bachelet received two “encourage” votes compared to six for Sall. Analysts suggest that her withdrawal does not guarantee a transfer of support to the Senegalese candidate, whose own standing has faced recent challenges.
In the third indicative vote held on Friday, September 18, support for Macky Sall declined to five “encourage” votes, with nine “discourage” votes and one “no opinion.” This result marks a decrease from his previous performance and places him outside the current group of leading candidates, which includes Rebecca Grynspan of Costa Rica and Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett of Guyana. Sall is currently tied in favorable votes with Olara Otunnu of Uganda and Rafael Grossi of Argentina, while holding the highest number of unfavorable votes among that group.
Bachelet’s candidacy, initially launched in February 2026 by Chile, Brazil, and Mexico, had previously lost the official backing of the Chilean government in March. The selection process continues among the fifteen members of the UN Security Council, who will eventually recommend a candidate to the 193-member General Assembly.
Article source: www.senenews.com | Image credit: www.senenews.com
