Sep 24, 2026
2 min read
President Dr Irfaan Ali has made a pitch at the United Nations for Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett to become the world body's next Secretary-General, telling the General Assembly that the choice of its next leader will shape the kind of United Nations left to future generations.
Addressing the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly under the theme "A multilateralism equal to the demands of a changing age," Ali said the UN needed leadership capable of restoring trust across its organs, agencies and programmes, and of defending the Charter "without fear or favour."
"It is in this spirit that Guyana has put forward the candidature of Her Excellency Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett for the office of Secretary-General of the United Nations," he said, describing her record as one shaped by service to her country, representation of the developing world, and deep engagement with the multilateral system.
Ali said the moment demanded a Secretary-General able to restore trust without compromising principle, and to bridge divides between North and South, and between developed and developing states.
Speaking personally, Ali described Rodrigues-Birkett as an indigenous woman from a small indigenous village who had defied the odds against indigenous people, women and poverty to rise to the top. "Her character is built on struggle, sacrifice, and commitment. Her accomplishments are crafted in her humanity," he said.
He said her qualities as a candidate rested not on her nationality but on her personal integrity and commitment, which he said was recognised by permanent representatives at the UN.
Ali appealed to the five permanent members of the Security Council and the wider UN membership to look beyond Guyana's size in weighing her candidacy, noting that she has been endorsed by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
"The responsibility for recommending the next Secretary-General rests, in the first instance, with the Security Council, and we therefore respectfully place before its members the candidature of Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett," Ali said, inviting the Council to judge her candidacy on the merits of her vision, experience and record.
