Maria Fernanda Espinosa enters UN secretary-general race as 5th candidate
Synopsis
For the first time in the UN's 80-year history, women candidates dominate a secretary-general race — and Ecuador's María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, nominated not by her own country but by Antigua and Barbuda, is the latest entrant. With five candidates now in the field and the Security Council holding ultimate veto power, the contest is as much about great-power politics as it is about gender equity.
Key Takeaways
María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés of Ecuador has entered the UN secretary-general race as the fifth candidate , nominated by Antigua and Barbuda on 13 May .
She served as UN General Assembly president during 2018–2019 and held cabinet roles including defence and foreign minister in Ecuador.
Ecuador's current government has not endorsed her candidacy.
All nine past UN secretaries-general have been men; the Assembly resolution calls for gender-equal consideration .
Other candidates include Michelle Bachelet Jeria , Rebeca Grynspan Mayufis , Rafael Mariano Grossi , and Macky Sall .
The Security Council , where five permanent members hold veto power, effectively has the final say on the appointment.
Former United Nations General Assembly president María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés of Ecuador has entered the race to become the next UN secretary-general, making her the fifth candidate in contention to succeed António Guterres, whose second term ends at the close of 2025. Her nomination was made by the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda, according to General Assembly president's spokesperson La Neice Collins on Tuesday, 13 May.
Who Is María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés
Espinosa served as president of the UN General Assembly during 2018–2019, making her one of the few women to have held that position. Prior to her UN role, she held multiple cabinet portfolios in Ecuador under the PAIS Alliance administrations, including serving as both defence minister and foreign minister. Notably, she visited India ahead of assuming the Assembly presidency to discuss India's role at the UN and the functioning of the General Assembly.
The Nomination and Its Complications
Her candidacy is being backed by Antigua and Barbuda, not her home country. Ecuador, currently governed by the National Democratic Action party, has not endorsed her bid. This is not the first time she has sought a multilateral leadership position — in 2020, both Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines nominated her for secretary-general of the Organisation of American States (OAS), a race she ultimately lost.
The Full Field of Candidates
Espinosa joins a competitive field that includes two other women from Latin America. The confirmed candidates are:
Michelle Bachelet Jeria, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, nominated by Chile, Brazil, and Mexico; Rebeca Grynspan Mayufis, secretary-general of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), nominated by Costa Rica; Rafael Mariano Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), nominated by Argentina; and Macky Sall, former president of Senegal, nominated by Burundi — though without backing from his own country. A nomination for Virginia Gamba, another Argentine who served as the secretary-general's special representative for Children in Armed Conflicts, was put forward by the Maldives but subsequently withdrawn.
The Gender Imperative
All nine secretaries-general in the UN's 80-year history have been men. A General Assembly resolution on the election has set
Point of View
And a region-dominated shortlist could complicate Security Council consensus. More telling is Espinosa's situation: nominated by Antigua and Barbuda rather than her own Ecuador, she enters the race without home-country backing, a pattern also seen with Macky Sall. That the UN's own resolution calls for gender equity yet all nine past secretaries-general have been men underscores how aspirational language and actual appointment politics diverge sharply at Turtle Bay.
NationPress
5 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés?
María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés is a former Ecuadorian diplomat who served as president of the UN General Assembly from 2018 to 2019. She also held cabinet positions in Ecuador, including defence minister and foreign minister, under the PAIS Alliance administrations.
Which country nominated Espinosa for UN secretary-general?
Antigua and Barbuda nominated her, not her home country Ecuador. Ecuador's current government, led by the National Democratic Action party, has not endorsed her candidacy.
Who are the other candidates in the UN secretary-general race?
The other candidates are Michelle Bachelet Jeria (nominated by Chile, Brazil, and Mexico), Rebeca Grynspan Mayufis (nominated by Costa Rica), Rafael Mariano Grossi (nominated by Argentina), and Macky Sall (nominated by Burundi). A nomination for Virginia Gamba by the Maldives was subsequently withdrawn.
Has a woman ever served as UN secretary-general?
No. All nine secretaries-general in the UN's 80-year history have been men. A General Assembly resolution on the current election has set equal and fair gender distribution as a desirable goal, and the call for candidates explicitly encouraged women to apply.
How is the UN secretary-general elected?
The UN Charter requires the General Assembly to appoint the secretary-general upon the recommendation of the Security Council. In practice, the Security Council — where the five permanent members hold veto power — effectively determines the outcome, with the Assembly ratifying the choice.
